Grassland and the Atlas of Forest and Landscape Restoration

5min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Scientists who study savannas prairies and other grasslands say the dispute is a familiar one. There are large areas of the world where the climate could support forests, but where there are not forests. Grassland scientists say tree planting advocates have tended to view all those areas as equally ripe for reforestation.

In the past decade, planting trees has come to represent many things: a virtuous act, a practical solution and a symbol of hope in the face of climate change. But can planting a trillion trees really save the world?

Visiting the Eden Reforestation Projects in Goiás, Brazil, and interviewing numerous international scientists and activists, the journalist Zach St. George offers a vivid insight into the root of the tree-planting movement — from the Green Belt Movement of the 1970s to the Trillion Tree Campaign of the 2010s — and considers the concept’s environmental potential, as well as the movement’s shortcomings.

This story was written by Zach St. George and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.