How many trees does it take to absorb the Co2 released by one car?

Question

I just need a rough answer, based on how an average american would drive

Answer 1

To expand upon Jonathan V's answer, if it takes 35 healthy medium sized trees, since those don't magically pop into existance at that size you'd probably need about 3500 seedlings to produce the same carbon sequestration.

A secondary issue is that since CO2 levels will rise for the forseeable future, the trees you plant now may die from climate change (heat, drought, intense storms) in a few years, negating the carbon sequestration that you're counting on by planting trees.

It's far more reliable to simply not release the carbon in the first place.

Answer 2

Not as many as it takes to asborb the amount of CO2 released from one cross country flight by Gore in his private jet!!!!

Each day that passes and the earth continues to cool...Gore and his kool aid drinkers are discredited.

Answer 3

Assuming these estimates are reasonably accurate, one mature tree contains about as much carbon as the 1,000 gallons of gasoline burned by a typical SUV in a year. But remember it takes 30 to 40 years for the tree to absorb all that carbon from the atmosphere. Photosynthesis takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. In fact, leaves use sunlight and water during the daytime only to convert CO2 from the atmosphere into tree sap (glucose) that the tree then uses to grow and build more wood fibre. The tree's average carbon uptake, therefore, may only be about 200 lbs. of carbon a year.

To offset the carbon released by driving a SUV 15,000 miles a year, therefore, it takes at least 35 medium-sized healthy trees to convert CO2 into wood.