There are many wonderful qualities of the Empress tree. However, one of the biggest is its massive amount of CO2 sequestering capabilities. Sequestering is just another way of saying how much CO2 or carbon dioxide, the tree can absorb. Now this may sound a bit technical, but I am going to try and put the following information in perspective.
As we go about our daily routine, we generate CO2 based on the things we do and the way we live. Most of the time we don’t realize that what we do causes this because we are removed from how our transportation, heat, power, food, and commodities are produced. Now, I am not going to tell you to live off the grid, but that’s awesome if you can do it. However, the rest of us need to be cognizant of the impact that we have on the environment.
In 2016 the US GHG (United States Greenhouse Gas Emissions) indicated that average emissions were 20.15 metric tons of CO2 per person each year. A metric ton is equivalent to 2,205 lbs. That would equal 44,430 lbs of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to about 3 and a half full size African bush elephants. Now even if you have never encountered one of these massive creatures, you can begin to understand the size we are talking about. Now take that number and multiply it by the 7.8 billion people on our planet and it is a number beyond our comprehension.
Now that we all think the sky is falling, let me tell you about how the Empress tree can help to offset these effects. There are many different types of trees in our world and typically they can absorb between 1 to 10 metric tons of CO2 per year. The Empress tree can absorb between 80 – 100 metric tons per year. Now there are many different factors that go into these numbers such as soil, spacing, age, and species, but I am trying to keep this relevant for those of us without PHDs.
One acre of Empress trees will absorb 3.25 metric tons of carbon dioxide. When the tree is harvested, it will regrow from the roots up to 7 times. If you harvest the trees every 10 years, you will have a sustainable way of making an impact on the environment and beautiful wood products for the economy. Bottom line is, to offset your own carbon footprint for the next 50 years, you would need to plant just 6.5 acres of Empress trees. Now, that is something we can do to help minimize the impact we have on our environment.
Here at MEE we are striving to offset our environmental impact as well as the impact of those around us. We are working on securing additional land to not only grow our business, but do it in a way that helps to heal our land and strengthen our economy.
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