Plants, People, Planet is a peer-reviewed bi-monthly scientific journal established by The New Phytologist Foundation, a non-profit that promotes plant science. In 2022, the journal warned about the dire consequences of the extinction of tree species.

Trees are of exceptional ecological importance, playing a major functional role in the world’s ecosystems, while also supporting many other plants, animals and fungi. Many tree species are also of direct value to people, providing a wide range of socio-economic benefits. Loss of tree diversity could lead to abrupt declines in biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services and ultimately ecosystem collapse.

…evidence suggests that a third of the world’s tree species are currently threatened with extinction, which represents a major ecological crisis. 

…Tree extinction will also undermine the livelihoods of the billions of people who currently depend on trees and the benefits they provide. This warning to humanity aims to raise awareness of the tree extinction crisis, which is a major environmental issue that requires urgent global attention. 

Scientists’ warning to humanity on tree extinctions

Deforestation, fire, and drought are made worse by climate change, In a dangerous cycle, these also worsen climate change. Yet policies that substitute protection for exploitation of forests could make a material difference:

Forests cover about 30% of the Earth’s land surface. As forests grow, their trees take in carbon from the air and store it in wood, plant matter, and under the soil. If not for forests, much of this carbon would remain in the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the most important greenhouse gas driving climate change...

Cutting down or burning forests releases the carbon stored in their trees and soil, and prevents them from absorbing more CO₂ in the future. Since 1850, about 30% of all CO₂ emissions have come from deforestation. Deforestation can also have more local climate impacts. Because trees release moisture that cools the air around them, scientists have found that deforestation has led to more intense heat waves in North America and Eurasia.

There are three ways to reverse these losses: afforestation, reforestation, and the natural regeneration of forest ecosystems. Afforestation refers to planting forests where there were none before, or where forests have been missing for a long time—50 years or more. Reforestation is planting trees where forests have been recently cleared...

If done worldwide, natural regeneration of forests could capture up to 70 billion tons of carbon in plants and soils between now and 2050—an amount equal to around seven years of current industrial emissions. Combining natural regeneration with thoughtful afforestation and reforestation is an important option for combating climate change.

Forests and Climate Change

In the 2024 election, a BC voter can choose to support one of three party leaders. For those who care about future generations, the choice is simple.

• Conservative John Rustad is a climate change and science denier. His party wants to log more trees, increase the province’s fossil fuel output, and initiate nuclear power. Meanwhile, the world’s installed photovoltaic capacity is now almost five times that of nuclear energy, Conservative Party sponsors salivate over the possibility of a project like Britain’s C$80 billion Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

• David Eby acknowledges a looming climate crisis, but leads a agovernment that promotes fossil fuel production and promises “to unlock long-term stable fibre access,” a clear suggestion that protected old growth forest lands will be opened for logging.

• Sonia Furstenau promises to enlarge protected forests and to finance economic alternatives to resource extraction. Afforestation, reforestation and protection of water systems would be be emphasized.

The reality is that BC must move away from dependence on the forest indusry. My hometown of Powell River provides an example of adaptation. The pulp and paper mill once employed about 2,400 workers but is now closed, The population has been stable and the town remains prosperous.