Mark Gongloff's article discusses alarming findings from a study published in Nature Communications, which indicates that meeting global net-zero carbon capture goals would require transforming 990 million hectares of land into carbon-absorbing forests—an area nearly the size of the entire United States. Gongloff argues that while trees are vital for the environment, they are not effective long-term solutions for carbon removal due to their lengthy maturation period and vulnerability to environmental hazards. He critiques the reliance on tree planting and bioenergy crops as a superficial fix that allows countries, particularly fossil fuel giants like the U. S. and Russia, to sidestep making real changes to their carbon emissions.

The article draws parallels with historical land rushes that caused significant social and economic disruptions, suggesting that similar consequences could arise from current carbon capture proposals. Gongloff advocates for a focus on renewable energy sources that require less land and can coexist with agriculture, emphasizing the urgency of reevaluating global carbon strategies to ensure they are practical and equitable.