Tasmania’s carbon breakthrough
Ateam of Australian scientists have discovered that the island of Tasmania is now carbon negative, meaning it absorbs more carbon dioxide gas (CO2) from the atmosphere than it emits. The team say their findings show the importance of forests in fighting climate change (long-term changes in the world’s weather patterns).
Large quantities of CO2 act as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and causing climate change. Many countries have plans to become “carbon neutral” (emitting only as much CO2 as they absorb), but Tasmania is one of the first places in the world to go carbon negative.
The fact came to light when a team from Australian National University (ANU) and Griffith University looked into the CO2 emissions of each Australian state. The gas is produced by activities such as burning coal, oil and gas for power, but is also released when forests are cut down – especially if the wood is shredded into pulp to make paper and similar products. On the other hand, living, growing forests absorb large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. In 2011, campaigners blocked plans to build a large new pulp mill in Tasmania. This led to a large decline in logging in Tasmania’s forests. Logging is cutting down trees to use them making things. The fall in logging caused a sharp drop in CO2 emissions and allowed forests to flourish and continue growing instead. Much of Tasmania’s power comes from hydroelectricity (energy generated by moving water, which does not emit CO2), so the reduction in chopping down trees was enough to turn the island carbon negative.
Scientists say that Tasmania’s achievement shows the important role of forests in managing CO2. They say preserving forests around the world could help many countries to absorb more CO2 and reduce their emissions. “We need to store a lot more carbon in the environment,” explained Professor David Lindemayer of ANU, adding that “the most effective place to do that is in forests.”