Tree Beneftis

Carbon offsets are trendy with do-gooders of all sorts – celebrities, politicians, your friends and people you’ve never met. The idea is to purchase carbon offset points to compensate for emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases you are responsible for. You flew to Vegas for a fun weekend with the girls? If you feel guilty about the carbon dioxide emissions created by the planes that transported you to and from the bright lights and big city, for about $25 you can purchase carbon offset points from an organization that will plant two trees.

You read that right. Carbon offset points don’t purchase a high tech chemical compound that scientists spent years developing and that is somehow released in the atmosphere to help balance the eco-system disturbed by your flight to Vegas. It’s two trees planted in a protected location that will do what comes naturally and clean the air of carbon emissions.

According to the International Society of Arboriculture, every year of its life one tree can absorb the carbon created by 26,000 miles of automobile driving. Even more amazing is the fact that the carbon dioxide trees absorb is converted to life-giving oxygen. The equation couldn’t be more perfect. More trees equals more oxygen and less carbon dioxide.

Each person on the planet needs between 30-70 healthy trees to offset the carbon dioxide their lives produce. But as so many forests are destroyed to make way for land, housing and business development, the world’s tree shortage is reaching alarming levels.

If there was ever a good time to plant a tree (or a few dozen trees), it’s now. Most areas of the United States can support the growth of multiple varieties of trees. Maybe an ornamental tree is perfect for your backyard or a fast-growing maple is perfect for your front lawn. No matter what you choose, your efforts will offer a return on investment every day of your tree’s life.