植树是否有助于应对气候变化？
Can trees help climate change?
A forest in Staffordshire (in the UK) transformed into a hi-tech laboratory.
英国斯塔福德郡的一片森林被改造成了一个高科技实验室。
Researchers here are investigating how the trees use carbon,
这里的研究人员们正在分析调查这些树木是如何消耗碳的，
and it's difficult to find out.
而要找到答案实属不易。
In an unusual experiment,
在一项不寻常的实验中，
extra carbon dioxide is piped to the trees,
额外的二氧化碳通过管道被输送到树木当中，
to create the kind of atmospheric conditions expected in the middle of the century.
以创造出预计在本世纪中叶出现的大气条件。
And instruments measure how the forest reacts.
这里还放置了仪器，用来测量森林会作何反应。
The scientist in charge says there's still a lot to learn.
负责这项实验的科学家说，还有许多东西需要学习。
And he worries that governments and companies are rushing to plant trees as an easy answer to climate change.
他还担心政府和企业都急于植树，认为这是应对气候变化的简单解决办法。
If you try and use trees to tidy up the mess that we're making through emissions,
如果你试图用树木来收拾我们排放污染物造成的混乱，
you are putting those trees into a very rapidly changing climate and they will struggle to adapt.
你其实是把那些树置于一个急剧变化的气候中，它们将难以适应。
This device tracks the movement of carbon dioxide.
这个装置追踪记录二氧化碳是如何移动的。
In a healthy forest,
在健康的森林里，
the gas is not only absorbed by the trees but some is released as well.
二氧化碳不仅被树木吸收，一些也会被释放出来。
What scientists here are finding out is the way carbon flows into a forest and out of it,
这里的科学家在查明碳流入及流出森林的方式，
is a lot more complicated than you might think.
这比你想的要复杂得多。
So, if mass tree planting is meant to be a solution to tackling climate change,
因此，如果大规模植树是应对气候变化的一个解决方案，
the trees are going to have to be monitored and cared for,
那么这些树木就必须受到监测和照料，
over not just decades,
这不仅需要几十年时间，
but maybe centuries as well.
也许需要几百年的时间。
Of all the challenges,
在诸多挑战当中，
the task of planting is the simplest.
种植的任务是最简单的一项。
Shelby Barber from Canada can do an amazing 4,000 trees in a day.
来自加拿大的谢尔比·巴伯一天能种多达4000棵树。
People talking about planting millions,
人们说要在全球各地种植数百万，
billions of trees around the world.
甚至数十亿棵树。
Is it possible do you think, physically?
你觉得实际上能做到吗？
It's definitely possible with the right amount of people,
这是完全有可能的，
the right group of people.
只要有足够的人和合适的人群。
I've personally, in three years,
我个人在三年内，
planted just over half a million trees.
种植了50多万棵树。
Once planted the trees need to survive,
一旦种下树，树木就需要生存，
and experts are mixing different types to minimise the risk of disease.
专家们正在混种不同类型的树，以将树木患病的风险降到最低。
It's a bit like making sure you don't put all your eggs in one basket,
这有点像确保你不把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里，
you're spreading out your risk.
你在分散你的风险。
And then if one part of that woodland fails,
如果那片林地的一部分失败了，
for whatever reason – it gets a disease,
不论是因为它患病，
it can't tolerate future climatic conditions,
还是它不能忍受未来的气候条件，
there are other parts of the forest that are healthy and able to fill in those gaps.
那么森林里还有其它部分是健康的，可以填补这些空白。
Suddenly there's momentum to plant trees on a scale never seen before.
突然间出现了一种大规模植树的势头，而规模之大是前所未见的。
So what matters is doing it in a way that ensures the forests thrive - so they really do help with climate change.
所以，重要的是要用确保森林茁壮生长的方式来植树，使其真正地有助于应对气候变化。