Why Forests Matter to the Climate

While I write this, New York, Baltimore, DC and large parts of the US are under a code red or purple air quality alert casting everything into an otherworldly light from pollution caused by smoke drifting south from massive Canadian wildfires. Another reason to think about forests, their benefits and the risks when they die.

Next to the oceans, forests are the planet's largest natural carbon sinks. At a time when efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have stalled in many places, protecting and expanding carbon sinks has become even more important, yet protecting carbon sinks receives far less attention than reducing emissions. Architects, planners, and engineers need to pay attention.

Even though Earth's surface is 70% water, and forests cover only a portion of the landmass, they are estimated to account for around....READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE