Our pledge to keep trees where they belong
At e.pop, our goal is to make receipts paperless. While we were aware of the inefficiencies of paper receipts, we have grown more conscious about the severity of their damage to the environment and the natural resources they need. To counteract this, we decided to partner with American Forests; to help put trees back where they belong.
“We aren’t satisfied with going carbon neutral, we’re investing in decarbonization.”
-Sunay Shah, CEO & Co-Founder
Taking action with the help of American Forests
In an effort to restore natural resources, we have partnered with American Forests, the oldest nonprofit conservation organization in the nation. The organization creates healthy and resilient forests, capable of delivering essential benefits for the climate, people, and wildlife. Through forestry innovation and research, they have reached new levels and contributed to the refurbishing of thousands of acres of forest land. With the help of our partner, American Forests, we have pledged to plant 1 million trees by 2025 and plant a tree for every person that signs up to our platform.
California needs us now more than ever
Trends show that the fire season in California is beginning earlier and ending later, every year. A trend driven by climate change. Warmer spring and summer temperatures, less snowpack and earlier snowmelt have given way to a longer, harsher dry season, making forests more susceptible to wildfires.
“The length of fire season is estimated to have increased 75 days across the Sierras and seems to correspond with an increase in the extent of forest fires across the state.” –CA.gov
In the United States, forests and forest products capture and store approximately 15% of the country’s carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, annually. Climate change has amplified traditional stressors on forests, making it increasingly hard to harness their full potential. “One mature tree in a forest can capture the same amount of carbon emissions as driving one car 1,500 miles.” (American Forests) Not to mention, forests soils hold 58% of carbon within the forests, more than all the carbon in trees and forest products combined!
However, forests release all the carbon they are storing when destroyed by wildfires or removed to make room for buildings, roads, agriculture, and other infrastructure. By planting more and using climate-smart strategies to manage forest areas, trees have the potential to capture almost twice as much carbon, and all that is stored will not be returned into the atmosphere.
Planting climate resilient forests
California’s forests supply more than 60% of the state’s water and the Sierra Nevada forests alone hold around 420 million tons of carbon – roughly the amount of carbon the states emit annually. The Mountain Home State Forest, where we the fruits of our partnership will lie, holds nearly 1,000 acres of reforestable landscape, which was burned at high severity in the 2020 Castle Fire.
The innovation, research and technology behind American Forests’ reforestation strategy is incredible. So much so that we could not but invest in their climate-smart reforestation efforts. Creating smart, innovative strategies for change contributes to long term resiliency. As such, our collaboration with American Forests will help reforest in Sequoia National Forest. There, the four stages of reforestation will take place – from seed, to nursery, to out planting and lastly post-planting care – in order for the area to be restored to its former magnificence.
We could not be more proud to contribute to American Forests restoration of our nation’s forests and feel very grateful to be planting in an area so brutally affected by recent climate change-related tragedies. In the past 15 months, California has seen 3 wildfires that mortally wounded thousands of mature Sequoia trees. These incidents accounted for approximately 13-19% of the world’s Sequoia population.
A climate-smart collaboration
Currently, e.pop is supporting 5,000 seeds through American Forests in a local nursery. These include Sequoia, Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine and Douglas-Fir seeds. In the Spring of 2022, we hope to help plant the seedlings in the most badly burned areas. This will be done once the snow melts and terrain is most receptive to our new-born trees. As a company, we have pledged to reach 1 million trees by 2025. This will be made possible through efforts of our own and the many who already have and will sign up to e.pop – as we plant a tree for every person who joins our platform.
We would like to thank American Forests for the opportunity to join forces in a project that will prove vital for the environment, wildlife and society. While this project is still underway, we are excited for the many more to come. We would also like to thank all the individuals who have participated in our #RedoReceipts movement, enabling us to plant many more trees and demonstrating that there is a need and a want for change.
Francesca Gobbetti
Is the Community Manager at e.pop. Social and environmental awareness is what keeps Francesca up researching and writing the occasional blog after hours.
