2019-08-05_Bloomberg_Businessweek-Europe_Edition

(Nandana) #1
23

TheCarbonCaptureTree


Anempresscangrow 10 to 20 feettallin itsfirstyear,whichhelpsit
storecarbonmoreefficientlythanothertreespecies

WorldTreereliesonfarmersaroundtheworldtoplantthetrees

Eachacreofempress
treesis equivalentto
about 80 passenger
vehiclesbeing
takenofftheroadfor
a year

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHUCK HEMARD FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

Tohelpbattleglobalwarming,companiesaroundtheworldareexpectedtospendbillionsofdollarsoverthenext
decadebuildingdevicesaimedatsuckingcarbonfromtheatmosphere.Thethingis,MotherNaturealreadymade
one.Whileeachacreofmosttreespeciescancaptureandstore1.1to9.5metrictonsofcarbondioxidea year,an
acreofempresstreescanabsorb103.“Thetreehasa veryJackandtheBeanstalkenergytoit,”saysWendyBurton,
whose15-year-oldMesa,Ariz.-basedtimbercompany,WorldTree,hasplantedmorethan1,000acresofempress.
Oncethetreesreachmaturity,farmersharvesttheirwoodforusein housesormusicalinstruments.WorldTree
investorssharein theprofits.Thetreescanregroweasilyfromthestumpsafterthey’vebeenharvested.SaysCathy
Key,thecompany’schiefoperatingofficer:“It’sa treethatgrowslikegrass.”�EmilyChasan

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