Carbon Removal Paradox: The Realities of Tree Planting and Carbon Capture Technology

The urgency we can’t ignore to curb emissions.

That’s me here in Patagonia, somehow acknowledging that trees alone won’t make it. Photo by the author.

Anew year but an already old stroy: the world is failing miserably in coping with the scale of the climate crisis. COP28 in Dubai was a band-aid for a seemingly terminal patient, with petrostates vehemently opposing a fossil fuel phase-out despite the urgent call from 130 nations. The reason? They’re hell-bent on a massive fossil fuel phase-up, throwing hundreds of billions of dollars into doubling the extraction that our planet can’t handle.

COP28 had a golden chance to stand up against the industry and demand a clear phase-out of fossil fuels. It failed. Instead, we got a weak plea to “transition away” from fossil fuels, riddled with loopholes — a feeble attempt to scare investors while leaving the status quo intact.

Good luck with that.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro bluntly stated in Dubai, “We are facing a confrontation between fossil capital and human life.” Because the most critical issue this year was the overwhelming heat caused by carbon emissions. Period.

The core of the climate crisis solution is simple: carbon emissions must nosedive rapidly to avert disaster. Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry is banking on…