Should I cut down my trees to go "green"?

Question

Our government wants to give me a monetary incentive (tax rebate) to put up solar panels on my house in Florida. I currently have large oak trees that shade my house thereby reducing the energy use for air conditioning but also preventing me from putting up solar panels. If I go along with the government plan, I will cut down the oak trees so I can go solar (Cut down the trees to go "green"?!!!). There are several issues I must deal with here:

1) Cutting down those beautiful old oaks will make make the various fauna homeless.

2) Those oaks pull a lot of CO2 from the air. Won't I get a net increase of greenhouse gases by cutting down and burning (or just natural decaying) them?

3) Solar is a BIG dollar investment that might be wiped out with the next hurricane. (No one makes 120mph wind solar panels)

Why is our government so short-sighted and simple-minded over this "global warming" issue?

Answer 1

Nobody is twisting your arm.  Just because they're offering a tax incentive, that doesn't mean you have to take advantage of it if there's no net benefit to be gained.  A house that gets a lot of sun would benefit from using solar energy to run the air conditioning, but if yours is more energy-efficient with trees to shade it, leave it the way it is.

Answer 2

I am all for solar panels, but I would have to say the benifit from the trees may win out. If you cut the trees you will likely use more electricity to cool your house. I would check into trimming them or finding another location to locate the panels. If neither option is available I would not get the panels.

Answer 3

If you know it's more trouble in the long run then don't do it.

Answer 4

Keeping the Oak trees and building solar panels are indeed great ways to become earth-friendly.As you say,the oak trees produce carbon dioxide and also shade for your home.The Oak trees are indeed a great benefit for yourself as well as the environment.However,the solar panels built can help you to save electricity and as well save the natural resources used for electricity.Both have their own benefits.

You can either choose both if you have enough spaces or either cut down some old Oak trees and build the solar panel. :)

Answer 5

Don't cut down the trees. Living in Florida, you will get more use out of the shade from the trees then you will from solar panels, which, WILL get sooner or later wiped away. Our government will change very soon, so just wait a few more months until we have a new President with a fresh view on things.

Answer 6

I would find out what type of electricity you are using.  If it is from a coal plant then maybe the solar panels are a good idea.  If you have a really big yard you might be able to plant some other type of small trees or large bushes.  In the next hurricane the trees might be knocked down, or the solar panels, or lightning could hit the trees in a rain storm, it is a dilemma you have.  I think you need to figure out what is important to you, (the trees or the solar panels) and then follow your heart.    

Answer 7

no. KEEP THEM.

Answer 8

Yes Trees are polluters from their respiratory habits

Answer 9

No. Keep the trees. You'd just be wasting money and the trees are helping a lot as they are. And the government isn't saying cut down trees to go green because most people probably don't have huge oaks that shade the whole house.

Answer 10

well how many trees are we talking here? It doesn't sound like a good idea if your area is affected by hurricanes..

Answer 11

Keep them.  Trees produce oxygen.  Life needs oxygen.

Answer 12

mark in time:

that has got to be the best question(s) I have seen in the last few months on Yahoo answers.  However, do you have a license to use rational thought?  It seems to be such a rare commodity I would expect that you need some sort of permit or license to use it publicly.  Also I am wondering where you got the idea that plants somehow use sunlight to consume carbon dioxide.  Next thing you know you'll be telling us that there is some type of molecule called "chlorophyll" or some similar science fiction.  Also, the blasphemy of the idea that burning a tree, or allowing the tree to rot would somehow liberate carbon dioxide seems to be straight out of some science fiction novel! Whats next? Are you going to suggest some carbon circle where carbon goes from CO2,into plant mater powered by solar energy via chlorophyll, and then the plants are eaten by animals, and the animals and plants eventually die and after countless years they turn into fossil fuels?

1) Cutting down those beautiful old oaks will make make the various fauna homeless.

2) Those oaks pull a lot of CO2 from the air. Won't I get a net increase of greenhouse gases by cutting down and burning (or just natural decaying) them?

3) Solar is a BIG dollar investment that might be wiped out with the next hurricane. (No one makes 120mph wind solar panels)

Why is our government so short-sighted and simple-minded over this "global warming" issue?

Our government is so short sighted in simpleminded over global warming for the simple reason that global warming is a religion, not a real scientific principles.  It wasn't many years ago that Time magazine had a large story about global cooling and the coming ice age which was being caused by burning of fossil fuels amongst other things.  When I look at the global warming religion it reminds me of people who make claims to "free energy" type of machines.  It's easy to understand that they haven't discovered a free energy machine, but sometimes it's fun to listen to them just to see where the breakdown in their thinking has occurred.  It is so funny that in your case the contradiction is between a solar panel, and an oak tree.  It appears as though the oak tree was superiorly engineered.  It gives you shade, it consumes carbon dioxide, it generates oxygen (regenerates if you will).  The deep roots of a tree like this help to prevent erosion.  And as you correctly observed this tree is more than just a tree it is practically an entire ecosystem revolving around 1 organism.

Thank you again for an excellent and insightful question.  It was a refreshing change

Answer 13

No you should plant more trees to give fauna more homes and it more trees mean cleaner air for us

Answer 14

Keep the trees and just be as conservative with your energy as you can. If at some point a storm takes out the trees, then you can reconsider the solar panel issue without having to decide whether or not to destroy the trees and the consequences of that action.

Answer 15

Find a happy medium, dont cut the trees down just trim them back so the panels can get sun.