METHOD TO MY MADNESS?

The author of a Huffington Post article, Johann Hari of the Independent, responded to my email. To explain this message and my ultimate response, I’ll trace some aspects of the communication, starting with a quote from his article to which I responded:

The article: http://eros.usgs.gov/imagegallery/collection.php?type=earth_as_art_3

1) J. Hari (from the article): “For example, 2.3 billion years ago, plant life spread incrediblyrapidly, and as it went it inhaled huge amounts of heat-trapping carbon dioxidefrom the atmosphere. This then caused a rapid plunge in temperature thatfroze the planet and triggered a mass extinction."

Trevor (email to J. Hari): "So here's what this suggests to me: If we plant trillions of trees, we can solve the problem of global warming.

2) J. Hari (email to Trevor): “Unfortunately we're doing the opposite - 20 percent of all carbon emissions come from cutting down rainforest at the moment. In any plan to deal with global warming reforestation is quite high up, though it'd have to be at a phenomenal rate to counter our current emissions. It's certainly part of the solution though.”

Trevor (email to J. Hari): “I know how badly it's going, but see no percentage in being pessimistic. Humankind certainly has the ability and creativity to solve the problem, even if it never does. Being a mystic, I believe that my personal resolve and optimism can be part of a spark that ignites the masses, so I persevere. If I'm wrong, there is no harm done. I simply stay optimistic and leave the rest to a higher power.

One comment asked how what I espouse would get done. My response: "If we could get an infrastructure/jobs bill passed (here in the USA), we could make tree planting a part of the project. Plenty of people need work, and plenty of trees need planting. More trees absorb more CO2. More working folks buy more to revive the economy." I put forward a logical proposition, knowing that there are inherent stupidities in the system that work against its implementation. Not my problem. If even one more person gets the vision, I have nudged the ledger forward on the plus side.

On the practical end: I saw where it's being tried to shoot missiles with seedlings from planes--and billions of trees can be propagated through that means. Otherwise, whether it falls on deaf ears or not, I propose that there be a global works program to plant trillions of trees.

I also keep saying that America will only respond to an impossible task--like putting a man on the moon in 10 years. My impossible task: America will have the lowest CO2 footprint among nations by 2020. I know that what I say sounds like madness, but there's method to my madness.