Ecologist Thomas Crowther’s research inspired countless tree-planting campaigns, greenwashing, and attacks from scientists. Now he’s back with a new plan for nature restoration.
His message wasn’t misinterpreted, he just didn’t realize the actual problem.
It gave people an excuse to keep generating CO2. So instead of slowing the generation of CO2 people just pushed the problem off as “we’ll plant more trees and that solves it!”
To add, many people did have the right of it, but they weren’t given platforms because they weren’t saying what powerful people wanted others to hear. This guy’s message was boosted because it provided cover for the continued generation of CO2. It’s not the case that if this one particular guy didn’t make a mistake then we wouldn’t have wasted time on this false corridor. At least one scientist will make this mistake or a mistake like this, it is an inevitably. In that hypothetical universe the only difference is we’d be hearing from that person instead of this one.
As Track said between their two comments.
His message wasn’t misinterpreted, he just didn’t realize the actual problem.
It gave people an excuse to keep generating CO2. So instead of slowing the generation of CO2 people just pushed the problem off as “we’ll plant more trees and that solves it!”
To add, many people did have the right of it, but they weren’t given platforms because they weren’t saying what powerful people wanted others to hear. This guy’s message was boosted because it provided cover for the continued generation of CO2. It’s not the case that if this one particular guy didn’t make a mistake then we wouldn’t have wasted time on this false corridor. At least one scientist will make this mistake or a mistake like this, it is an inevitably. In that hypothetical universe the only difference is we’d be hearing from that person instead of this one.