China reassigns 60,000 soldiers to plant trees in bid to fight pollution

[Pickman's model]

I think that's a great idea and planting a lot more trees has all sorts of advantages.

I am skeptical of the idea of it becoming 'a forest' in the sense it's supposed to make you think though. Where I grew up is just about in the zone given there, in north Lincolnshire, and it's all fields. I could see there being small areas where you could plant patches of trees but there's no scope for planting on a forest scale without getting rid of most of the agriculture (and therefore a huge chunk of the local economy) in the area. I imagine most of the area will have similar issues.

That said I think the idea really resonates anyway so hopefully they do well with it.

grimsby, cleethorpes, louth and immingham doubtless all swallowed by the forest

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

View attachment 186676
grimsby, cleethorpes, louth and immingham doubtless all swallowed by the forest

I'm quite happy to give up all of those places for the greater good.

ETA: The forest can have Scunthorpe too.

 

[pinkmonkey]

Pakistan says, ‘hold my beer’ Pakistan has planted over a billion trees

 

[butchersapron]

I was wondering where all them uighurs had gone.

 

[StoneRoad]

It takes time for trees to grow and so take up the carbon ...

I've run out of room on my patch now, and need to thin some of the shelter belt. Quick growing stuff to protect slower growing native trees.

I do have a fair quantity of wildlife, especially birds.

 

[ska invita]

I think that's a great idea and planting a lot more trees has all sorts of advantages.

I am skeptical of the idea of it becoming 'a forest' in the sense it's supposed to make you think though. Where I grew up is just about in the zone given there, in north Lincolnshire, and it's all fields. I could see there being small areas where you could plant patches of trees but there's no scope for planting on a forest scale without getting rid of most of the agriculture (and therefore a huge chunk of the local economy) in the area. I imagine most of the area will have similar issues.

That said I think the idea really resonates anyway so hopefully they do well with it.

I share your scepticism...the UK currently doesnt have a single "forest" in its technical sense I gather - just woodland. I'd like to see much more detailed plans. That green shaded in map is very misleading

 

[JimW]

It's a bad idea, they're barely civilised up that way as it is. Plant a forest and they'll all be donning tights and hanging about with tall men and fat monks and causing a public nuisance.

 

[not-bono-ever]

U.K. Deer are at their highest population since the last ice age apparently. No predators and no real market for their meat.it pains be to say it and I don’t want to get all get orf moi land - but it’s a massive factor in forest health

 

[ska invita]

The Northern Forest - Woodland Trust
Northern Forest (England) - Wikipedia

Key figures are 50 mill trees over the next 25 years - seems slow, but works out at 2million trees a year. Seems the work is predominantly volunteer done too?
I get the impression this is all more of an ambition -with some financial government backing - rather than some committed and planned and ready to roll out state project a la China.

The initial planting will be close to the cities, with an aim to increase coverage in this area to 20%. The next priority would be river valleys where reforestation will help reduce flood risk. The more remote portions would be planted towards the end of the 25-year programme.

doesn't sound like one massive forest to me!

Still, good luck to them

 

[ska invita]

Pakistan says, ‘hold my beer’ Pakistan has planted over a billion trees

according to the little video there they set up this plan in 2014 and have already exceed a billion. Makes the UK plan look super slow in comparison

 

[Chilli.s]

It's a good idea, but not so radical as the army planting them though. Lack of vision.

 

[campanula]

There is a big difference between a forest and a plantation.

To be fair, there doesn't need to be any planting at all. String a wire between 2 posts and in 30 years, there will be a mini forest between them (the posts) as perching birds, shitting out seeds (which have their dormancy mechanisms triggered by gut acids, landing in a little bed of fertile poo), is all that is needed for ecological regeneration. Pioneer trees such as birch will be used as nurse trees and eventually be overtaken by long-term woodland denizens such as oak, ash, yew etc. Could start with the grouse moors.

Bloody deer.

 

[campanula]

planting scheme in the UK, but is there actually any space available for

We don't necessarily need huge forests...but we do need hedgerows, field boundaries, wildlife cover, coverts, copses and shelter belts. trees, hedges, shrubs, grasses and perennials are all part of a mixed ecosystem - which can be cheaply established, easily maintained and viable for centuries.

 

[ska invita]

Heres some Scottish before and after reforesting pictures

View attachment 168957

View attachment 168958

nice documentary here about a history of Scottish forests, deforestations, forestry, and rewilding

BBC One - Making Scotland's Landscape, Scotland's Trees

How the actions of man and the weather almost destroyed Scotland's tree stocks.

www.bbc.co.uk