Denmark, roughly the area of Wisconsin, is to plant a billion trees, replacing 15 percent of the nation's farmland with forest. $6.1 billion was earmarked by legislators in compensation to the those whose property will become national parkland. Government figures report 14.6% of land in Denmark is forest, but it rests dead last at the low end of the Forest Landscape Integrity chart; only city-states such as San Marino have less trees.
The deal was reached by the three-party Danish government — made up of the Social Democrats, the Liberals and the center Moderates — and the Socialist People's Party, the Conservatives, Liberal Alliance and the Social Liberal Party.
A vote in parliament on the deal is considered a formality.
Obviously a wonderful thing, but the nature of the new forests isn't clear in the coverage. Restoring native woods is expensive, while neatly-planted evergreens are just another crop. Ireland's gloomy new Sitka forests are the case study in "careful what you wish for" when it comes to reforestation, but I love them myself. Forest backrooms!
Previously:
• Seedbomb vending machine
• The Hard Questions of Climate Change
