By Elmer Beaureguard
This "Green" ad by GE although very cool is actually scientifically wrong
In this ad a tree uproots and walks over and hugs a house for emitting "less" greenhouse gas. But in actuallity trees LOVE greenhouse gas, that's why they use it in greenhouses, typically 3 times the atmospheric level.
Remember in 8th grade science when we learned about the "Carbon Cycle" where animals and volcanoes emit CO2 which made the plants grow, then they in turn create Oxygen for us in the beautiful symbiotic relationship called Photosynthesis. They must not teach that in school anymore because now CO2 is treated like Nuclear Waste and is buried.
In 2003 scientists set out to prove the effect of greenouse gasses on trees. They planted trees in New York City and trees way out in the woods. To their surprise, the trees planted in the city grew twice as rapidly as the ones in the country.
link to article.
“In the country, the trees were about up to my waist. In the city, they were almost over my head — it's really dramatic,” said Jillian W. Gregg, the study's lead author.
“No matter what soil I grew them in they always grew twice as large in New York City,” said Gregg, who said she was initially perplexed by the unexpected results.
In another study from CO2Science.org they discovered that increased CO2 actually help trees grow in dry and treeless grasslands.
So what I'm saying is, the tree should be mad at the house not hug it. It should be hugging a coal fired power plant or an SUV instead.
Good article, and nice photo. But the youtube video doesn't play anymore.
Thanks for the heads up I fixed it.