Carbon Sequestration
» Michigan Conservation & Climate Initiative
Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change. One function forests play is to regulate important greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). There are three natural processes by which carbon goes into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide: combustion, decomposition, and respiration. There is only one natural process that removes CO2 from the atmosphere: photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, trees and other plants, turn CO2 into biomass (wood and foliage) and release oxygen as a by-product. Forests store an enormous amount of carbon on earth and play a significant role in regulating the earth's climate and mitigating climate change. A number of projects have been developed to capture the value of forest carbon sequestration in order to fund conservation, reforestation, afforestation and responsible management of forests as carbon sinks. See:
- Michigan Conservation & Climate Initiative (Michigan)
- VanEck Forest (California)
- Oregon Department of Forestry- Private Forest Carbon Offsets
- PG&E ClimateSmart Program (California)
- California Climate Action Registry Forest Protocols
- RGGI Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Environmental consulting and forest management businesses at the forefront of this new economic valuation system provide carbon inventory and marketing services. See:
