The Role of Forests

in Cleaning the Air

What’s wrong with the air, anyway?Carbon emissions!!!

• CO2 = major greenhouse gas

• Causes global warming: traps heat

• Comes from burning fossil fuels

• Mostly by cars and

energy plants

How do trees help?

1) Photosynthesis:

*Absorb CO2

*Separate carbon from oxygen

*Store carbon in roots and wood

(“carbon sinks”)

*Release oxygen

for us to breathe!

Did you know???

One large tree can provide enough oxygen for 4 people for a whole day!

Did you know???

You need about 500 full-sized trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a typical car driven 20,000 km/year !

Since young trees absorb more carbon than old ones, planting new trees is a great way to help reduce the carbon in the atmosphere!

Did you know???

In one year, an acre (0.405 hectare) of trees can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven up to 14,000km!

That would be like driving to Mexico and back twice!

Did you know???The death of one 70-year old tree would return over three tons of carbon to the atmosphere!

To put this in perspective…a car only weighs 2 tons!

How do trees help?2) Lowering our energy needs

*Trees planted near buildings provide shade and break the cold wind

*We use less air conditioning and heating (30% less!)

*Power plants release less CO2!

How do trees help?

3) Filter the air from:

Carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide

A healthy tree can reduce dust particles in the air by as much as 7,000 particles per litre of air!

How do trees help?

By removing these chemicals, trees reduce:

*headaches

*lung, throat and eye irritation

*respiratory disease

*heart disease

*cancer

We are losing our trees!

Approximately every 3 seconds we lose a whole hectare of forest!

A hectare is bigger than a football field!

Forest Management vs. Deforestation

Forest Management:

Cutting the trees, using them to make products and then re-planting the trees…

Forest Management vs. Deforestation

Deforestation:

Cutting the trees without re-planting.

Example: building a mall or a parking lot.

What can we do to help?YOU are helping right now by participating in

tree-planting projects like the Clean Air Tree Kits project!

Quiz time!

How big is YOUR

carbon footprint?

Let’s find out…http://www.zerofootprintkids.com/kids_home.aspx

Picture References:http://anhglobal.ning.com/group/thehealingforestfoundation

http://republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=6636

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news/2008/163_news080619_gm_halting_big_suv_redesigns/photo_01.html

http://www.euronuclear.org/e-news/images/springfield-npp.jpg

http://www.wilson.wnyric.org/david/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=68&Itemid=120

http://www.townhouse.webtech.info/

http://www.elmcare.com/trees/how_trees_breathe.htm

http://www.designboom.com/contest/files/copy_1214_1.jpg

http://www.takeprideinutah.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/trees.jpg

http://www.greece-map.net/north-america/north-america-map.gif

http://www1.na.infn.it/~paolillo/FarWest/IMG_0652.html

http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/pollution/ecnpd/results-x_e.html

http://www.next100.com/2009/05/give-me-shade.php

http://products.howstuffworks.com/friedrich-air-conditioner-rs12l10-review.htm

http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/smog.jpg

http://www.onebighealthnut.com/page/2/

http://www.theucbinstituteofallergy.com/Images/LeftImage2_tcm114-10095.jpg

http://cutestangel.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/sore-throat1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Olympic_stadium_football_field.JPG

http://www-math.cudenver.edu/~wcherowi/clock.gif

http://myfactoryrep.com/infosheets/wave-feeder.aspx

http://www.zoobreviven.org/images/tree_planting.JPG

http://www.actforclimatejustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/deforestation-tree-removal1.jpg

http://www.accessniagara.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/20070623_empty_lot_parking_lot.jpg

http://world-is-natural.org/page11/files/trees_give_oxygen_poster.gif

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-air-tree-kit-canadian-edition.jpeg

http://muttondressedaslamb.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/carbon-footprint.jpg

http://www.desktoprating.com/wallpapers/fog-forest-wallpaper.htm