My uncle said planting a single oak tree would offset a transatlantic flight and I actually believed him for 6 months

Spent $80 on a 6 foot sapling and drove it 300 miles in my truck bed only to find out from a wildlife biologist at a rest stop that it would take 300 years of growth to even come close to that, has anyone else fallen for some well meaning but totally wrong eco advice from a relative before?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_thea17h ago

Totally planted a "miracle tree" my grandpa swore would absorb all our car emissions, only to realize it was just a very expensive maple. Least my driveway looks nice though.

linda_dixon4912h agoTop Commenter

Grandpa probably meant well, but that "miracle" claim sounds like a tall tale to me. Maples are nice trees, sure, but they're not exactly scrubbing your tailpipe fumes in any meaningful way, @the_thea. All that carbon absorption stuff is way more complicated than a single tree in your driveway, your mileage may vary on that one. If the tree looks good and you're happy with it, that's what counts, just don't bet your carbon footprint on it.