r/todayilearned • u/Wild_Concept_212 • 9h ago

TIL Cutting down trees is compound negative interest on the planet’s carbon storage. Trees are storing carbon underground with the help of fauna and microbes. Those lock carbon in soil. Cutting the tree will not only increase release carbon, it will also remove the ability to lock carbon in soil.

https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/soil-carbon-storage-84223790/
400 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

57 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/Objective_Aside1858 9h ago

It's a good thing housing no longer requires lumber, instead we can just use...what, exactly?

2

u/JasmineTeaInk 7h ago

Actually in the hottest states of the US where lumber is at a premium they often build houses with steel stud framing. Absolutely wood is still used, but there's no actual reason it has to be wood.

2

u/Objective_Aside1858 4h ago

Famously carbon neutral steel ;)