How does the rainforest offset my CO2 emissions?

Our calculator and offset project is about CO2, because CO2 is the most tangible and accurately calculable part of our ecological footprint to date. But we must not forget that it is only part of the equation, and that our climate as a whole, and therefore life on our planet, are at risk. Global warming is just one consequence of our interference with the ecological balance, but drought, floods, storms and other weather extremes are also part of climate change.

So it's not enough just to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. Even if we stop burning fossil fuels, we could not stop climate change if we continue to destroy carbon-rich ecosystems and important habitats. We need a real savior for the climate and biodiversity. The best part - we already have it. And we can't afford to lose him: The forest.

Currently, 30% of the earth's surface is forested. Standing forests have many important functions for climate and environment. They prevent the erosion of nutrient-rich soils. From a global perspective, trees produce most of the oxygen that is vital for us humans, so they secure our livelihood. In addition, forests filter fine dust such as heavy metals, nitrogen oxides and soot particles from industrial and car exhaust gases out of the atmosphere and clean the water in streams and rivers.

Through the constant evaporation of the vegetation and the release of aerosols by the trees, the forest itself also provides the typically frequent precipitation. Forests are thus also responsible for a moist, cool microclimate, store huge amounts of water and are thus our most important buffer against weather extremes and climate change. So they really are the "green lungs" of our planet. And last but not least, they are places of peace and relaxation.

Above all, however, these forests bind more CO2 in their biomass, soils and forest bogs than is present in the entire atmosphere. If the forest is cut down, the carbon stocks stored in it are released through the use of the wood and the rotting of the branches, leaves and roots and return to the atmosphere as CO2. There, the CO2 acts as a greenhouse gas and accelerates global warming. Biodiversity is lost and it becomes much drier and hotter due to the lack of tree vegetation. When carbon-rich ecosystems such as forests and peatlands are destroyed, they release more CO2 than could ever be recaptured in a period of time relevant to humans.

For this reason, forests, especially ancient primeval forests, are our most important buffer against human-induced climate change when viewed globally. Yet every year, 13 million hectares of forest disappear, an area equivalent to the size of Greece.

Without the forest, our air would be too polluted to breathe, there wouldn't be enough reliable rain, our soils would be washed out and nutrient-poor, our water sources would dry up, and drought and heat would plague us. That's why we think it's time to say thank you to nature for all the free services she gifts us with every day, and without which life would be impossible. If we want to save the climate as a whole and life on our planet, it is not enough to sequester CO2 in new plantings sometime in the future or to reduce it through innovative technologies.

We need to say thank you and preserve all the remaining intact, high-carbon ecosystems that "gift" us every day.