Roughly 2.5 million metric tons of the carbon emissions that cause global warming are stored in New Jersey’s forests
Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight
Is New Jersey doing enough to protect its 2 million acres of forests — one of the most effective tools in ridding the atmosphere of the carbon emissions that cause global warming?
That issue is attracting the attention of legislators who are looking at how they can advance climate-change adaption policies in New Jersey, a coastal state particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme storm events.
Across the United States, the nation’s forests account for 15 percent of the carbon emissions that are pulled from the air and stored, according to Jad Daley, president and CEO of American Forests, which works to build resilient forests in rural and urban settings. “The U.S. already is delivering forests as a climate-change solution, and New Jersey is delivering, too,’’ he told legislators last month.
The question is, asked Daley, “how do we keep a good thing going?’’ His message: Retain as much forest as possible and keep what remains as healthy as possible — no small task with climate change increasing the threats to woodlands.
“If we don’t deal with the health stresses caused by climate change and forest loss, we’re going to lose this good thing we have going … ,’’ he said. Not only are forests under increased strain from infestation by insects but also from wildfires, the latter is a concern in the Pinelands where wildfires are part of the natural ecosystem.
Pulling carbon dioxide from the air
In New Jersey, roughly 2.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions are stored in forests, Daley said. That’s in line with what is happening across the nation with trees capturing carbon emissions.
Emissions of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas causing climate change, are taken up by trees, grasses and other plants through photosynthesis and stored in the vegetation and soils.
Surprisingly, the largest portion of carbon sequestration occurs in New Jersey’s urban areas, according to Daley, who grew up in the state.
Why so? Because urban trees reduce the effect of heat islands in densely populated areas, serving as a natural source of energy efficiency by reducing power use in heating and cooling. The U.S. Forest Service estimates urban forests reduce energy use by 7.2 percent, saving consumers roughly $7 billion a year.
“This is a real critical opportunity for New Jersey, in particular,’’ Daley said.
