How does cutting trees affect global warming?

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that cutting and burning trees adds more global warming pollution to the atmosphere than all the cars and trucks in the world combined?— Mitchell Vale, Houston. read more

One of the main causes of global warming is deforestation. Agriculture is the main cause of deforestation; farmers cut down forests to plant crops or graze livestock. read more

Forests have a major impact on local weather systems and can also affect the amount of sunlight absorbed by the planet: a new area of trees in a snowy region may create more warming than cooling overall by darkening the land surface and reducing the amount of sunlight reflected back to space. read more

Harvesting timber and replanting actually will help fight global warming. Trees through photosynthesis convert CO2 to wood. As long as that wood is present whether it is in tree form or lumber form, that carbon is stored in a solid state. read more