It’s enough if we do it right.
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Carbon Sequestration Facts
Forestland in the Northern Forest has an average carbon content of 106 metric tons per acre. This includes all carbon in the forest, including live biomass, dead trees and fallen trees,
Trees are roughly 50% carbon (dry weight). Increases in standing timber are directly correlated with increases in bound carbon.
Following a harvest, an estimated 32.5% of forest carbon is released to the atmosphere within five years. Another 32.5% is stored in long-lived forest products, with an average annual loss of 2% to decay or disposal and an estimated 35% of forest carbon remains stored on-site, either in unharvested material, forest soil, or coarse woody debris.
About 67% of the forest carbon is not stored in forest products following a clearcut
From a carbon standpoint wood as a construction material has a smaller carbon footprint than aluminum, steel, plastic, and concrete This is true because production of wood products is often less energy-intensive.
To grow a pound of wood, a tree uses 1.47 pounds of carbon dioxide and gives off
1.07 pounds of oxygen. An acre of trees might grow 4,000 pounds of wood in a
year, using 5,880 pounds of carbon dioxide and giving off 4,280 pounds of
oxygen in the process.
Most Americans realize that cars, trucks, and industry are a major source of CO2 emissions, but the clearing and degradation of forests is also a major factor. Deforestation accounts for approximately 25 percent of annual CO2 emissions worldwide. This is roughly equivalent to the amount of CO2 produced by the entire transportation sector (cars, trucks, airplanes) worldwide.
The U.S. carbon sink absorbs 1.1 to 2.6 million metric tons of CO2 each year, which is equivalent to 20 to 46 percent of total U.S. global warming emissions.