In an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions and save aquatic life, Denmark’s leaders have agreed to plant 1 billion trees. Denmark will also convert up to 15% of its current farmland into forests. The deal was struck by the nation’s coalition government. Under it, Denmark would spend 43 billion kroner to purchase hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. (That's $6.1 billion.) The farmland will be transformed into forests. Nearly 15% of Denmark’s current landscape is forests. What happens once the plan is approved? It'll bring about the largest change of the Danish landscape in over 100 years, the government said. Putting the deal into action is thought to be certain. Denmark's parliament must give final approval. “The Danish nature will change in a way we have not seen since the wetlands were drained in 1864,” Jeppe Bruus told The Associated Press. Bruus heads the country’s Green Tripartite Ministry. If the deal is approved, Denmark would be the first nation to tax carbon emissions produced by farming. Danish farms emit high amounts of methane from livestock. And it's the country’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The deal also seeks to cut fertilizer use. The latter has led to an extreme lack of oxygen in bodies of water. It's also led to fish kills from runoff. A recent study of Denmark's waters was performed by Aarhus University researchers. They surveyed waters in September. They found Denmark's waters had suffered the largest loss of oxygen in over two decades. Niklas Sjøbeck Jørgensen is a senior advisor for the Green Transition Denmark (GTD). Jørgensen said the report shows Denmark's marine regions are in trouble. Jørgensen said on the GTD's website that nitrogen also needs to be lessened to improve marine waters. Reflect: How do you think creating more natural spaces can impact the environment and the way we live? Gif of forest from GIPHY.
