Colorado’s forests release more carbon than they absorb, a new report says. Is that concerning?
In The NOCO · KUNC
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Show Notes
It’s one of the first concepts you learned in science class: Trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. It’s part of why forests play such a critical role in reducing carbon in the atmosphere.
Which is why a recent report on Colorado’s forests sounds a bit alarming.
Researchers set out to gauge how many tons of carbon are taken in by Colorado’s nearly 23 million acres of forest – and also how much carbon is emitted by those forests.
They found that forests in Colorado are actually releasing more carbon than they’re storing – which is surprising if you think back to those early science lessons and expect a forest to have the opposite effect.
Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Ross recently dug into the research. She joined Erin O’Toole to talk about why this is happening – and whether we should be worried.
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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.