New Zealand government goal to plant 100 million trees a year - with the goal of planting a billion over 10 years.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/10/revealed-shane-jones-minister-for-100-million-trees-1-billion-regional-fund.html
More details of the policy enclosed.
What are the potential impacts on:
- jobs,
- climate change,
- forestry industry,
- wood processing industry,
- supply chains especially the overlap with the wall of wood (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11937668)
- log prices (domestic and Asia),
- carbon prices
- forestry investments?
Hi Robert
I think this project has so many advantages. to name a few, reduction and prevention of soil erosion which has become an important issue in the world. Also tree would have beneficial effect on reducing the run off of storm water and flooding which I think important in NZ. on the other hand trees are preserved fuel cells :), filter air and provide an ecosystem. as you know better wood industry also is very strong in NZ which also would enjoy from this policy.
Perenniality of the trees and the extent of their deciduous nature will reveal their overall effects. But , good points given above by Ales...there are other sides as well...
Hi Robert
I think this project has so many advantages. to name a few, reduction and prevention of soil erosion which has become an important issue in the world. Also tree would have beneficial effect on reducing the run off of storm water and flooding which I think important in NZ. on the other hand trees are preserved fuel cells :), filter air and provide an ecosystem. as you know better wood industry also is very strong in NZ which also would enjoy from this policy.
Even if plants are carbon neutral in the long term, as they are planted to increase the supply of forest industry they will replace non renewable materials like fossil fuels, metals, plastics, nylon... But not just that, in short term they collect the CO2 during the time they grow. As they will be planted in non wooded areas the CO2 stocked in plants will increase in a important way. The CO2 capture ratio by plantations is greater than industrial emissions in several regions. I agree with Amin Shavandi that there are other environmental advantages like avoiding soil erosion.
Dear Robert
The transition from a forested landscape to a built environment change many natural factors such as the temperature. The urban development can increase the temperature of the urban area because of the heating and cooling islands effects and the temperature differences by heating islands in the summer evening can be as high as 12 °C. One of the direct consequence of this rising temperature in urban area, can be increasing in required energy for air conditioning that will increase the water consumption indirectly, because energy production need water consumption and water withdrawal and today more than 15% of the world’s total water withdrawals are using for energy production.
Trees can act as an air conditioner because of evapotranspiration process, (Fabiane, 2013). Trees are a necessary feature in combating the urban heat island effect because they reduce air temperatures by 5.5 °C, and surface temperatures by up to 11-25 °C, (EPA report 2, 2014). A study results show that by planting ten million trees in Los Angeles temperatures could be reduced by approximately 3 °C. Combining this with re-roofing five million homes, and painting one-quarter of the roads at an estimated cost of US$1 billion, giving estimated annual benefits of US$170 million from reduced air-conditioning costs and US$360 million in smog related health savings, (Rosenfeld et al., 1997). Plants can lower the temperature on the roof too (and the air around it) dramatically. In one scientific experiment, when the outdoor temperature reached 35°F., the standard roof reached 70° while the green roof reached only about 25°F. In a big city with multiple green roofs, that makes a big difference. Plus, because the roof is cooler, people need less air conditioning, which creates a kind of cooling loop, (Scott, 2016). Therefore, by using plants, the temperature can decrease from 60C to 38C in the middle of the day. The Canadians studies show that, in the spring and, particularly, in the summer, the green roof reduced the average daily energy demand by up to 75%, compared with the ordinary roof, (Holladay, 2006).
In this regards, “New Zealand government goal to plant 100 million trees a year”, beside the benefits for environment and ecosystem, can decrease the temperature (that is one of the results of climate change), and will impact on water and energy consumption in the urban area.
I uploaded the full hypothesis of this idea on my page.
Best Regards
Pirouz
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