--- title: "Research: Planting Trillions of Trees Could Cancel Out CO2 Emissions" description: "## Fresh Air" date: "2019-02-17" modified: "2019-02-17" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/planting-trillions-trees-cancel-co2-emissions" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "carbon" - "climate change" - "environment" - "trees" --- # Research: Planting Trillions of Trees Could Cancel Out CO2 Emissions ![An ambitious new analysis found that there's space to plant 1.2 trillion new trees — a number that would absorb more carbon than human emissions.]() *\Image: Creative Commons\* ## Fresh Air An ambitious new analysis of the world's forests found that there's space to plant 1.2 trillion new trees — a number that would [absorb more carbon]() than human emissions. According to the new data, ETH Zurich researcher Thomas Crowther [told *The Independent*](), trees are "our most powerful weapon in the fight against climate change." ## Wiped Out Crowther told the *Independent* that the new analysis, which he [presented at a conference]() this weekend, suggests that a worldwide tree-planting spree would have a greater impact on the planet's environment than building wind turbines or vegetarian diets — an effort, he says, that could cancel a decade of greenhouse emissions. "There’s 400 gigatons now, in the 3 trillion trees, and if you were to scale that up by another trillion trees that’s in the order of hundreds of gigatons captured from the atmosphere — at least 10 years of anthropogenic emissions completely wiped out,” he told the newspaper. ## Dank Trees Unlike high tech solutions to climate change like carbon capture systems, Crowther argued, trees are nice because anyone can plant one. "It’s a beautiful thing because everyone can get involved," he told *The Independent*. "Trees literally just make people happier in urban environments, they improve air quality, water quality, food quality, ecosystem service, it’s such an easy, tangible thing." **READ MORE:** [Massive restoration of world’s forests would cancel out a decade of CO2 emissions, analysis suggests]() \[*The Independent*\] ***More on trees:*** [Swarms of Drones Can Now Plant Trees in Areas Devastated by Fires]() ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()