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Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) <br /> <br />Earth's climate is rapidly changing due to an increase o f g reenhouse gases (GHG) such as <br />carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) w h ich are emitted from <br />human activities such as transport ation , i n dustry, a nd p ower gene rati o n. T hese are <br />primary contributors to increased temperatures in u rba n areas. T rees absorb ca rbo n <br />dioxide and store carbon in wood, which helps t o red u ce green h ouse gases and t he <br />harmful impacts of climate change. <br />Carbon sequestration is the remova l of ca rbon dioxide from th e air by trees (and a l l <br />pl a nt life), whil e c arbon storage is the a mount of carbon a lready d e posit e d in <br />woody parts of vegetation. In add ition to carbon dioxide, t rees' lea ves or needles <br />absorb pollutants, such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and some <br />particulate matter. It is est imated that trees in the Un ited States store 700 <br />million tons of carbon valued at $74 billion w ith an a n nua l ca r bon <br />sequestration rate of22.8 million tons, valued at $460 million a n nually <br />INTRO DUCTI O N : 18