Brazilian Peppers have been deemed a noxious, invasive plant, yet it is pretty to look at. The nickname for it is the Florida Holly. It is said to be a relative of poison ivy and dangerous to endangered species. Studies have shown though, that for global warming and humans, it is good. It sucks carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere in great amounts. While it should be celebrated for helping to reduce carbon in the atmosphere, it is not. It is looked down upon as being an invasive species that has taken over one million acres of land in Florida. It takes away wildlife habitat and costs the government millions to remove it from the highways, utility lines and shorelines. It has been said that the negatives that the plant provides outweighs the positives even though an acre of Brazilian peppers absorbs 500 times more carbon than an acre of saw grass. It grows fast and covers a large area of land. Over the summer, on a 100 mile stretch of I-75, the Department of Transportation will be going through and removing all the Brazilian pepper plants that they find.

      Even homeowners have had enough of these peppers. They have waged their own war against it. They would work together on weekends to cut everything down and fight against the species. Also, their goal is to restore the habitats in the area to their original state so that the species living there can thrive again.  They say they’ll be fighting it forever but they’ll keep at it if they have if they have to. Just because something looks beautiful and does something good for the environment; it does not necessarily mean that it is good all around. Reducing the carbon footprint in Florida would be good, but if it is at the cost of other wildlife and habitats that are also important, it is not worth it.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jun/07/brazilians-peppers-devour-carbon-dioxide-study-fin/

http://www.baysoundings.com/sum05/brazpepper.html