How does planting trees or grasses reduce carbon in the atmosphere?
Scientists and groups such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have determined that the release of carbon dioxide, CO2, into the atmosphere from fossil fuel use is the leading cause of global warming. Various living systems, such as the worlds oceans, soils and vegetation act as CO2 reserves. For an example, as a plant grows, it takes in CO2 from the atmosphere, and through photosynthesis fixes the atmospheric CO2 into carbohydrates, which make up the biomass of the plant. Therefore, by planting trees or grasses and keeping those plants in reserve (not harvesting), they are fixing certain amounts of carbon annually, and therefore reducing the excess CO2 in the atmosphere.
