Who Will Speak for the Trees?
If President Trump abandons efforts to curb carbon emissions, then preserving old trees will be our next best strategy for mitigating climate change.
Valuable for more than just their beauty.
Photographer: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
The oldest living things matter to the world in ways nobody understood a few decades ago.
A slew of scientific discoveries shows why we should protect not just 1,000-year-old trees but also 200-year-old whales, 400-year-old fish and 10,000-year-old sea sponges. Many old plants and animals don’t just degenerate over time but acquire size, strength, experience and traits that younger generations depend on. Some ancient organisms can benefit humans by helping us understand aging or even providing anti-aging or anti-cancer compounds.