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Earth Home To 3 Trillion Trees, Half As Many As When Human Civilization Arose

Posted by Soulskill on from the took-them-a-while-to-fill-out-census-forms dept.

sciencehabit writes: Earth today supports more than 3 trillion trees—eight times as many as we thought a decade ago. But that number is rapidly shrinking, according to a global tree survey released today (abstract). We are losing 15 billion trees a year to toilet paper, timber, farmland expansion, and other human needs. So even though the total count is large, the decline is "a cause for concern," says Tom Spies, a forest ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service in Corvallis, Oregon, who was not involved with the work.

6 of 269 comments (clear)

  1. Three Seashells by The+Rizz · · Score: 5, Funny

    We are losing 15 billion trees a year to toilet paper

    Looks like it's time to institute the Three Seashells.

    1. Re:Three Seashells by The+Rizz · · Score: 3, Funny

      I considered not linking, but I did it as a public service announcement to everyone under the age of 30 (who have no idea this movie exists).
      The More You Know, right? And Knowing Is Half The Battle!

    2. Re:Three Seashells by Nidi62 · · Score: 3, Funny

      I considered not linking, but I did it as a public service announcement to everyone under the age of 30 (who have no idea this movie exists).

      Hey, I'm 28 (well, almost 29) and I know about the movie, you insensitive clod! And let me tell you, I would much rather choose running around naked covered in green jello singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener" than having the only restaurant be a vegetarian Taco Bell.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  2. Re:Toilet paper and timber? by pr0fessor · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you would like to have more trees build a chain link fence... Mine appears to grow plenty of trees.

  3. Re:Here we go... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Can you please refrain from bringing up facts? We're trying to have a discussion about global warming here. Thanks.

  4. Yeah but we have like 3 trillion more than mars by netsavior · · Score: 4, Funny

    Earth is still #1 in trees!