{"id":44159,"title":"Plant 17 trees!","description":"Plant 17 trees!Three things to do before you die: plant a tree, raise a child and write a book. It\u2019s a fine ambition to plant 17 trees, help raise a child, and write a book. I want to explain why I think planting 17 trees a year, for the next decade at least, is helping to do your bit.","content":"

Three things to do before you die: plant a tree, raise a child and write a book.<\/strong><\/p>

It\u2019s a fine ambition to plant 17 trees, help raise a child, and write a book.\u00a0 I want to explain why I think planting 17 trees a year, for the next decade at least, is helping to do your bit.<\/p>

(1)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Plant 17 trees<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

If we all planted more trees, it would make a difference for climate change.\u00a0 Together, we could bring back more nature into our lives. By planting a diverse mix of trees, we restore habitats for wildlife. \u00a0<\/p>

How many trees should we plant?<\/strong>\u00a0 17 a year.<\/p>

That is an oddly specific number, why<\/strong>?\u00a0 Well, understanding why it is 17 will take most of this blog, so please hang on in there.\u00a0<\/p>

How many trees does the earth have?<\/strong>\u00a0 We used to have 6 trillion trees.\u00a0 We now have 3 trillion trees.\u00a0 So, we have lost half our trees.\u00a0 And we need to put 1 trillion back!<\/p>

Who says so?<\/strong>\u00a0 A clever Welshman, called Dr Tom Crowther, at the Crowther Laboratory in Zurich.<\/p>

How does he know?<\/strong> He counted them.\u00a0 Using satellite data.\u00a0 He and his team worked out that there are 3 trillion and 40 billion trees left.\u00a0 It took Davos by storm in 2019.<\/p>

How many trees did the world used to have?<\/strong>\u00a0 6 trillion.\u00a0 Using satellite data, they can determine where trees once grew.<\/p>

No way!<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, and there is room to plant or restore a trillion trees.\u00a0 And we don\u2019t have to take arable land to do so.<\/p>

A trillion sounds like a big number?<\/strong>\u00a0 It is mind-blowingly big. It is impossible to count to a trillion!\u00a0 It would take over 31,688 years if it took a second to count each number. One trillion makes 8 billion look titchy small!<\/p>

What about \u201cgreen washing\u201d?<\/strong>\u00a0 You can\u2019t plant your way out of climate change. Planting trees, or pledging to do so, by itself isn\u2019t enough.\u00a0 We all need to look at the carbon footprint of everything that we make, buy or consume.\u00a0 Significant cuts to carbon emissions are essential.<\/p>

But it\u2019s good to plant trees?<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes!\u00a0 Trees are a powerful drawdown solution over time. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and release oxygen; we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide!<\/p>

Why do we need to put a trillion back?<\/strong> It will make a discernible difference to climate change.<\/p>

What sort of trees?<\/strong> All sorts. We need diverse forests. There are 73,000 species of trees in the world. Diverse forests bring biodiversity! All those beautiful insects, invertebrates (snails and slugs), mammals, birds and wildlife that depend on our forests.<\/p>

What about planting in bulk?<\/strong> It might seem attractive to plant the same trees, again and again. We would reach high numbers. But these plantations are known as a monoculture (in contrast to a diverse, mixed, primary or old growth forest). Monoculture forests have little biodiversity and short lives. Diverse and old growth forests support an abundance of life and can store carbon for hundreds of years!<\/p>

How much carbon do trees absorb each year?<\/strong>\u00a0 The three biggest carbon sinks are oceans, soil and forests. \u00a0Each year, the ocean absorbs 30% of human-made emissions, and soil and forests slightly less. The rest of our emissions enter the atmosphere.<\/p>

Can we get rid of carbon?<\/strong>\u00a0 No. Carbon is the foundation of life of earth!\u00a0 \u00a0All living things contain carbon in some form.\u00a0 Carbon is not created \u2013 the world always has the same amount.\u00a0 Carbon is cycled.\u00a0 From the air to organisms.\u00a0 Absorbed and released.\u00a0 Trees extract carbon dioxide and release oxygen (photosynthesis).\u00a0 Humans have increased carbon dioxide in the air by burning fossil fuels.<\/p>

Team 8 billion? <\/strong>If I could choose, my team would be a team of 8 billion people planting, protecting and restoring local trees. Restoring diverse forests. Together, we are just enough. Together, we can restore a trillion trees.<\/p>

Converting 1 trillion into just 17!<\/strong> \u00a0\u00a01 trillion divided by 8 billion is the same as 1000 divided by 8 (once you cancel out the zeros).\u00a0 The answer is 125.\u00a0 Imagine you want to do this within a decade (it may take a few years to get everyone onboard.) \u00a0So 125 divided by 8 years.\u00a0 That is 15.625.\u00a0 Ha!\u00a0 That is not 17.\u00a0<\/p>

But each year we cut down 15 billion trees?<\/strong> True, we are deforesting a huge number of trees.\u00a0 A football field of forest is lost every second.<\/p>

We also restore some trees, too?<\/strong> About 5 billion each year.\u00a0 So, the net loss each year is 10 billion trees. We divide 10 billion by 8 billion.\u00a0 We get 1.25.\u00a0<\/p>

In total? <\/strong>Each year we should all plant 16.875 trees, each?\u00a0 But you can\u2019t plant a 3 quarter tree\u2026<\/p>

Why is 17 important?<\/strong>\u00a0 It is a prime number.\u00a0 The first 4 prime numbers, 2 + 3 +5 +7, add to 17.\u00a0 And, if we all plant 17 trees a year, within a decade, we will reach 1 trillion!<\/p>

I want to help, but I don\u2019t have land!<\/strong> \u00a0You can still help. Think about contacting your local council (often there are tree planting programmes), local charities and parks.\u00a0 There are often grants to help.\u00a0 You need permission to plant from the legal landowner.\u00a0<\/p>

How much does it cost?<\/strong>\u00a0 The woodland trust can grow a sapling for about 40 to 80p a tree. \u00a0It takes about 30 minutes, with a good shovel, and the right conditions, to plant 17 saplings.\u00a0<\/p>

Phew that is complex, but I get it!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

(2)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Help raise a child<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

Can we all do this?<\/strong> It takes a village to raise a child.\u00a0 As adults, many of us already help communities and children to read or do maths. We help neighbours and friends.\u00a0 This matters! \u00a0It\u2019s a fine ambition to help raise a child: \u00a0the world need people who are kind to others.<\/p>

(3)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Write a book<\/strong><\/p>

What about the last goal, to write a book?<\/strong>\u00a0 They say everyone has a book in them. Below is a sneak preview of the cover from my latest book.\u00a0 It tries to take trees from the shady background, into the light, as colourful main characters.\u00a0 Why write a book? It\u2019s hard. But it\u2019s fun!<\/p>

Want to know more? <\/strong>My books can be purchased on Waterstones<\/u><\/a> or Amazon<\/u><\/a>. Here is a website I drew a few years ago. I wanted to explain climate change in pictures, beyond words, to help us all understand how to help www.kidsstoptheclock.com<\/a> \"d4qwvoqrg8od0ut4rmenox0vqccbrdeafq1asachklzun088.png.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\"<\/p>

<\/p>","urlTitle":"plant-17-trees","url":"\/blog\/plant-17-trees\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/plant-17-trees\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/17trees.earth\/blog\/plant-17-trees\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1731672750,"updatedAt":1732980766,"publishedAt":1732980765,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":165630,"name":"17 Trees"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/vzc3ouoyz6pgubpxaeccts3kak4cai6womni4csg7yockroe.png","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/vzc3ouoyz6pgubpxaeccts3kak4cai6womni4csg7yockroe.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/vzc3ouoyz6pgubpxaeccts3kak4cai6womni4csg7yockroe.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"Plant 17 Trees: why it matters","metaDescription":"","series":[],"similarReads":[],"labels":[]}