Planting Trees Won’t Save the World
How corporate greed bastardized the premise of planting forests to sequester carbon and solve climate change.
In a world of deepening ecological collapse, tree planting has been marketed as a feel-good solution for mitigating climate change — a soothing balm on the anxieties of environmentally-conscious citizens. The images are everywhere: lush forests sprouting from barren landscapes, promises of a greener tomorrow, all supported by shiny corporate banners and press releases. But what’s behind the glossy veneer? The truth is that tree planting initiatives are rarely the carbon sequestration miracle they claim to be. Driven by profit and expertly marketed, these projects are increasingly being used as cover for continued environmental degradation.
Selling Pollution as “Sustainability”
Corporations have expertly exploited the “carbon credit” system, converting tree planting projects into financial instruments that allow them to claim environmental responsibility without reducing their emissions. Madison Avenue’s greenwashing machine has been hard at work, presenting tree planting as a direct counterweight to pollution — a magical solution that allows corporations to pay for their emissions and get a free pass to pollute.
