The Australian federal environment minister, Senator Campbell, has just anounced a $64 million plan to plant 25 million trees in Western Australia. This is designed to combat salinity, but the interesting thing I noticed was the claim that this would absorb the greenhouse gases produced by 3.2 million cars.
So, considering there are about 10.7 million cars in Australia, does this meen that for $214 million, we could negate the greenhouse gases of every car in the country? If so, why aren't we doing this? It would be a great PR coup for the government, provide a massive new resource for the timber industry, help alleviate salinity and give us all I warm fuzzy feeling, all for the cost of about 1/6 a tank of petrol each.
Maybe my sums are all wrong, but it sounds like one of those simple things that could make a real difference.
I suppose we could wait for the government to work this out (I'm sure there is some short sighted political reason why it won't happen), or we could each do a bit ourselves, via the good people at greenfleet.
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I'm calling shenanigans on that. 25 million trees, lets think about that. 20,264,082(July 06 est) people in Australia, so we need all of them plus some, to plant a tree. On top of that, lets look at density. According to www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/AFT/04-021.pdf, its 150 per hectare (2.4 acres), so 25M will be 400,000 acres or 1619 sq kms. Lets look at that in perspective. 1619 sq km, if the width of the area was 1 km then the length would have to be 1619km. Distance from Melbourne to Sydney, ~950kms.
You can't beat me with your maths mumbo jumbo.
If that 1619 sq kms was in, let's say, a square, then it would be merely 40km by 40km (0.02% of the surface area of Australia).
And remember, this is land that is mostly or completely unproductive due to salinity.
Good points put forward by both parties, but the one thing that you both forget is that there is no water in Australia at the moment. Bendigo can't even water their own gardens. By the time summer's over it will be roads and concrete surrounded by dirt.
It's fairly dry in W.A. too for that matter.
I give each tree 3 hours to live.
By the way, Hi Daryl (Easyl) hope the weather's still good over there, it got to over 30 here today. Hot summer here we come.
Luke (aka Dean's bro)
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