Trees are not only an essential part of the natural world, they can also help to offset your carbon emissions when taking a holiday.
Trees play an important role in ensuring the planet remains habitable for human beings and other species by absorbing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, producing oxygen as a byproduct. They do this through the process of photosynthesis and store it as carbon in their trunk, branches and leaves.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that absorbs heat and warms the climate.
Tree planting is a great way to offset carbon emissions when taking a holiday. The amount of carbon dioxide that can be absorbed by one tree in its lifetime is equivalent to the emissions generated from using over 2,000 litres of petrol or over a tonne of coal.
Whether you’re planning to take a staycation or jetting off abroad, the resulting greenhouse gas emissions from your holiday still contribute to climate change.
Trees and Inishowen Artists’ Retreat and Studio
Many years ago, Andy and I first met while working with a conservation charity in Northern Ireland. Andy mapped ancient woodland and collected seeds directly from these areas with teams of volunteers. These seeds were nurtured into trees… many thousands of them. The trees were then planted across Northern Ireland in schools, communities and the wider countryside to create new habitats whilst promoting environmental and social improvements.
I was the Education Officer and, like Andy, planted thousands of trees in schools and communities, promoting environmental awareness and the importance of school grounds for educational play and discovery.
We have always had a deep love of the environment and have tried to pass this on to our own children. We are all brutally aware, now more than ever, the importance of planting trees, wildflower meadows and of being more sustainable. It’s vital for the health and wealth of our natural world… which we are all naturally part of.
Last winter a small team of mums, dads and friends planted over 400 trees in school grounds across Inishowen, including in every national school in our local town of Carndonagh. We also collected local seed from an ancient woodland site in Carndonagh called Cnoc Na Coille Daire (hill of the Oak wood). These seeds (Irish oak, rowan and birch) are happily growing into young saplings in our vegetable garden and are almost ready to plant out… locking up carbon as they grow and mature, as well as providing natural habitats for wildlife, insects and birds.
As an en plein air painter, I completely appreciate the natural beauty and magnificent colours of our environment and how much we depend on its survival for our own.
We offset your carbon footprint
So we invite you to join us in supporting our natural world and give you the opportunity to give back while offsetting the carbon footprint of your time at Inishowen Artists’ Retreat and Studio.
For every holiday, retreat or course booked we will plant trees on your behalf.
What is a carbon footprint
A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted as a result of an individual’s or organization’s activities. These emissions can come from a variety of sources, including transportation, energy use, the manufacture of goods and simply cooking food.
Greenhouse gases are responsible for climate change, and by reducing our carbon footprints we can help to combat this. There are many other ways to reduce your carbon footprint, from reducing your energy consumption to choosing more environmentally friendly transportation options.
How does holiday travel leave a carbon footprint?
When we travel, we often do so by plane, car, or train. These modes of transport all generate large amounts of greenhouse gases. In addition, the manufacture of planes, cars, and trains requires a lot of energy, which also results in emissions.
So the next time you’re planning a holiday, keep in mind that your trip is going to leave a carbon footprint. You can offset this impact by planting trees once you get back home.
How can planting trees offset carbon emissions
Planting trees can offset carbon emissions in a number of ways. For one, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and by doing so they help to reduce global warming. They also provide shade and cooling effects, helping to make our planet a little bit cooler overall.
Why should we care about our carbon footprints
There are a number of reasons why we should care about our carbon footprints. For one, greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming, and by reducing our carbon footprints we can help to combat climate change. In addition, emissions from transportation and energy use are a major source of air pollution, which can have negative health effects.
Finally, by reducing our carbon footprints we can save money and make our planet a little bit cleaner. So there are several reasons why we should all be working to reduce our carbon footprints!
Conclusion
Planting trees can offset carbon emissions in a number of ways. For one, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and by doing so they help to reduce global warming. They also provide shade and cooling effects, helping to make our planet a little bit cooler overall. In addition, the manufacture of planes, cars, and trains requires a lot of energy which results in emissions all of this holiday travel adds up to very large carbon footprint but there is something we can do about it: planting trees. Planting trees not only helps offsets emission from your holiday travel but also fights climate change. So next time you’re planning a vacation consider offsetting your emissions by planting tree!