Ivanka’s math skills mocked for tweet about planting 1 trillion trees: 'How many centuries will that take?'
Ivanka Trump was trolled for claiming that the United States was committed toward the initiative of planting one trillion trees.
"This week @POTUS planted a beautiful maple tree at the @WhiteHouse, the first of 1 Trillion Trees that the United States has committed to planting to reaffirm our nation’s commitment to conserving the majesty of God’s creation and the natural beauty of our World. Happy Arbor Day!" the first daughter tweeted on Friday, April 24, days after President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, planted a tree on the South Lawn of the White House for Earth Day earlier this week.
The mother-of-three, who is also the senior adviser to her father was mocked by Twitter users, as they noted the impossible math required to make the initiative a success.
"Did you do the math on the tree planting?" one of them remarked, while another commented, "So Trump and the White House commit to planting a trillion trees. That's 27 million trees each and every day for the next 100 years. Is THAT really what you are going to do?"
A third quipped: "A trillion! a zillion! 500 zillion! what's the difference? the numbers are always exaggerated or wrong and people get screwed. It's called Trump mathematics."
A fourth pointed out: "One TRILLION trees. How many centuries will that take, Princess?"
And a fifth weighed in, saying, "10,000 years. On the assumption that this rate of planting could be kept up indefinitely without running out of space to plant trees or money to keep the project going, if we imagine we can plant 100 million trees per year it would take 10,000 years to plant a trillion trees."
The White House also issued a Presidential statement on the occasion, using Arbor Day to renew its push for joining the Trillion Trees initiative, which has become part of the Republican climate proposal in the House.
"Arbor Day is an opportunity for all Americans to acknowledge the important role that our Nation’s forests and woodlands play in supporting our economy, health, and environment. Today, we celebrate the remarkable contributions that America’s wide variety of trees make to our way of life," the statement read. "Let us also use this day to reflect on the sacrifices that Americans have made during these difficult times, and to look forward to the days—in the near future—when we will once again spend time outdoors with our friends and families. In this spirit, the First Lady and I planted a maple tree on the South Lawn of the White House. As our Nation grows stronger and greater in the months and years to come, this tree will grow also—and it will stand tall and beautiful for future generations to admire and appreciate."
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), sponsored the Trillion Trees Act with the view that could lead to an expansion in habitat for threatened wildlife as well as forestry jobs.
“Forestry and deforestation affects wildlife habitat. I think that has a tie into economies in a lot of these areas where forests are and the fact that some people trade illegal wildlife into these wet markets. I think we need to use leverage and pressure to try to shut down those wet markets around the world,” he said, the Hill reported. “The bill has a tie to helping prevent future pandemics by giving people better economies and livelihoods versus selling reptiles and certain mammals in the wet markets.”
However, Democrats have opposed Westerman’s bill, saying tree planting cannot prove to be the key to the climate solution.
“Any bill, no matter how well-intended, that does not respond to this crisis needs to be recognized as part of the problem,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) said at the bill’s hearing in February. “We should plant trees, we should perfect cross-laminated timber ... but we should not call these ‘climate solutions’ if we are using these strategies to continue deforestation and continue developing and burning fossil fuel at a completely unacceptable and unsustainable pace.”