Trees are an amazing life form on our planet. They are the longest living things, with some trees estimated to be over 2,000 years old. By looking at their growth rings we can interpret what the seasons were like throughout their lives. So they have a great connection with the past, present and the future weather.

The present and future stems from the fact that trees, whilst they are growing, take in carbon dioxide and in turn release oxygen to the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide is partly caused by human pollution and the oxygen is vital to sustain life on Earth.

When whole forests are cut down and the timber is either burnt or allowed to degrade naturally, that carbon dioxide is then released back into the atmosphere. It has been estimated that a young vigorously growing rain forest can absorb, each year, something in the order of 1,000 tonnes of carbon per acre. The fact that we are losing around 1.3 million acres a year is quite frightening.

This means that the total amount of carbon dioxide that is not be absorbed is in the region of 1.3 billion tonnes. That is almost exactly the amount of fossil fuel carbon emitted from the whole of the United States of America, and nearly 25% of the whole world's emissions.

This is an enormous problem as far as the future weather is concerned. Even if we only cut back on the deforestation to 50% of its current scale, this would still seriously reduce the warming of the atmosphere.

The problems of climate change and global warming in particular have to be solved internationally. If we can find a will and a way to enable national companies and individuals in the developing nations to conserve and replant their rain forests, it can only help us all in the long run.

Related Links:

- Global Warming
- Earth Gases: Carbon Dioxide