Arizona University to slash tonnes of CO2 by planting ‘entire forest’

Around 1,000 trees will be planted at the ”Carbon Sink and Learning Forest” which will be open to professors to conduct climate change research

Arizona State University (ASU) has announced plans to reduce its carbon footprint by planting a forest of 1,000 trees in the area.

This forms a part of the university’s green project to mitigate its carbon emissions at the rate of around 45,000 metric tonnes each year.

The trees, which are currently being grown by Northern Arizona University (NAU) at their research greenhouse, will likely be planted in November.

It said each tree will cost around $44 (£40) and will be funded through a $10 (£9) fee for all ASU-sponsored round-trip flights.

Over the upcoming years, the university’s laboratory will monitor the amounts of carbon stored in the soil to determine how much of a “carbon sink” the land is and how effective the trees are at minimising the release of carbon by the university.

ASU professors will also conduct research to track how planting on such a large scale will affect the microclimate of the local area in terms of wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity and solar radiation.

Latest Podcast