The GOP solution to lowering carbon emissions? Plant trees

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While Democrats have blasted U.S. President Donald Trump for being a "climate denier", Republicans on Wednesday proposed new legislation aimed at cutting down on carbon emissions.

Their plan: Plant more trees.

Specifically, one trillion trees by 2050.

But critics say that avoids the root of the problem - carbon emissions from the use of fossil fuels.

And that planting trees - meant to help suck carbon out of the air - is insufficient in the fight against global warming.

Trump's just-unveiled budget plan, in fact, proposes steep CUTS to environmental protections - something Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was blasted for by Democratic Senator Tom Carper at a Senate Finance Committee hearing Wednesday.

(SOUND BITE) (ENGLISH) DEMOCRATIC SEN. TOM CARPER, SAYING:

"Instead of proposing tax policies that actually lead to reducing carbon, we get just the opposite. Why is that?"

(SOUND BITE) (ENGLISH) U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY STEVE MNUCHIN, SAYING:

"Uh, again, let me just say the president very much supports clean air and clean water."

(SOUND BITE) (ENGLISH) DEMOCRATIC SEN. TOM CARPER, SAYING:

"He's reduced - the administration proposed reducing EPA funding by I think almost a third. Almost a third. But go ahead."

(SOUND BITE) (ENGLISH) U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY STEVE MNUCHIN, SAYING:

"Again, I'd be happy to come and talk to you about the different policies. I don't know what you want me to comment on specifically on this."

Trump, who has repeatedly cast doubt on the science of climate change, had expressed support for the idea of a massive tree-planting campaign during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month.

That prompted 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg to retort that fixing the climate crisis was not just about trees, but about divesting in fossil fuels.

Mnuchin then took a swipe at Thunberg, saying she should study economics in college. She hit back by tweeting that it didn't take a degree to know the world is falling short on its climate goals.

Additional bills focused on so-called carbon emission "innovation" will be released over the coming weeks - ideas include tax credit incentives for carbon capture technology from power plants and a boost to "cleaner" nuclear energy and natural gas. ##