Forests Still Better than Carbon Storage Technology in Reducing CO2

Category: Science/Environment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. mitigate / ˈmɪtəˌgeɪt / (v) – to lessen something
    Example:

    Planting more trees will mitigate air pollution because trees absorb carbon dioxide.


  2. caveat / ˈkæviˌɑːt / (n) – a warning about something that should be considered
    Example:

    The proposed policy to fight climate change seems promising, but the caveat is that it will be difficult to implement.


  3. regenerate / rɪˈʤɛnəˌreɪt / (v) – to restore something to a better condition
    Example:

    We need to regenerate forests to provide habitats for animals.


  4. grapple with / ˈgræpəl wɪð / (phrasal) – to address a problem
    Example:

    The government will implement new rules to grapple with the issue of air pollution.


  5. treaty / ˈtriːti / (n) – a formal agreement among countries or groups
    Example:

    More than 100 countries have signed the treaty to protect forests all over the world.


Article

Read the text below.

Replacing forests with crops to be used for carbon capture technology may not be the best option, study says.


Biomass Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is one of the technologies used to mitigate carbon emissions. It involves growing energy crops that can absorb carbon and can be later used to fuel power plants. The resulting CO2 from this process will then be stored underground, unable to enter the atmosphere. The caveat is that creating BECCS requires a big landmass, resulting in deforestation.


However, University of Exeter [EK-si-ter] researchers found that maintaining forests can better keep CO2 levels at bay instead of clearing them to accommodate large-scale BECCS. This is after they used a digital model of the world’s vegetation and exposed it to different land-use changes required to stabilize global warming within a prescribed limit.


They discovered that BECCS can reduce CO2 in some regions but not in areas with mature forests that already store CO2. Burning or clearing these mature forests would facilitate the release of stored CO2 into the atmosphere. Therefore, the researchers recommend protecting and regenerating forests instead of clearing them in several areas.


Currently, forests cover only about 31% of the world’s land. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ recent report cited agriculture as the main reason for deforestation because trees are removed to accommodate growing crops.


The report also found that less than 50% of the 35 examined countries address deforestation. But there is an urgent need for these countries to grapple with this problem in light of international treaties that aim to deal with climate change.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Which do you think can better mitigate carbon emissions: maintaining forests or creating BECCS? Why?
• Do you think countries should prioritize addressing issues related to deforestation? Discuss.

Discussion B

• What are some ways to improve the protection and maintenance of forests? Discuss.
• What do you think are other benefits of protecting forests? Explain.