When you picture climate change solutions, massive wind turbines, and sleek electric vehicles probably come to mind. While cutting-edge technologies are important, natural solutions such as planting trees and smart farming practices have the incredible potential not only to curb but also to combat the effects of climate change. It’s time to embrace nature’s own innovative climate plan.
Natural climate solutions involve expanding conservation, restoration, and sustainable land management practices in order to sequester carbon dioxide, the most prevalent greenhouse gas. The sequestration potential of trees alone is huge. According to a recent study, the planting of 1 trillion trees worldwide would offset an entire decade of carbon dioxide emissions.
People in rural communities, such as farmers and foresters, have understandably been skeptical of policies that would make fueling their equipment more expensive or spend their tax dollars on far-away renewable energy projects. Policies to increase the natural carbon sequestration capacity of forests and farms, on the other hand, empower rural communities to lead in the fight against climate change. After all, those who depend directly on the land for their livelihoods appreciate the importance of sustainability better than anyone.
Restoring important ecosystems (such as forests, wetlands, and coastlines) is not only important for absorbing the carbon dioxide that causes climate change, it also helps communities adapt to the effects of a warming planet. Healthy mangrove forests on the Gulf Coast absorb carbon and dampen extreme weather events such as hurricanes, lowering wind speeds and reducing waves by up to two-thirds of their original height.
Earlier this year, natural climate solutions gained support with President Trump’s announcement that the United States would join the Trillion Trees Initiative. The Trillion Trees Act, introduced by me, Rep. Bruce Westerman, will put this plan into action. The bill will plant more trees across the U.S., incentivize sustainable building practices with wood products, and support forest resilience. This bill is the first of many legislative steps we can take to use nature to help stabilize our climate.
Planting trees and sustainable agriculture practices alone will not solve climate change, but natural solutions have a significant part to play. While efforts to eliminate fossil fuels and mandate unrealistic emissions targets are polarizing, natural solutions can be a bipartisan focus of climate policy.
Moving forward, it’s not enough to simply cut our current emissions. We need carbon-negative solutions that lower the amount of carbon in the air that has already been emitted. We can and should do that with innovative technology, of course, but we can’t ignore the simple yet effective solutions nature has to offer.
There is no silver bullet solution for climate change. If we want to start making progress right now, we can start by empowering people who are closest to the land by enacting policies that help them sequester more carbon. Natural climate solutions present the best opportunity for real progress in the fight against climate change. The fight doesn’t stop with agriculture and forestry, but we can certainly start there.
Rep. Bruce Westerman has served Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District since 2015. Quill Robinson is the vice president of government affairs at the American Conservation Coalition.
