HELEN DIXON OUTLINES THE ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE OF TREE PLANTING
What do I know about Climate change?
What I do know is that I am growing increasingly aware of the urgent need to act, simply listening to the news, feeling a creeping fear growing and wondering what will our futures be if we sit back and wait for others to take charge and do something, is not enough. Climate change is real, and is happening now, but I can do something, and so can you – so please keep reading.
The Bigger Picture
The City of Glasgow in the UK is hosting the 26th Climate Change conference – Known as COP26, [Conference of the Parties] which is also set against the ongoing backdrop of Covid19. This conference will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement (2015) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
As we try to recover from this global pandemic, we must also work towards protecting the planet by planting more trees and significantly reducing our carbon usage. The science dictates that by the second half of the century, we should be producing less carbon than we take out of the atmosphere. This is what reaching ‘net zero’ means as we all make changes across the globe with the aim of building a more sustainable, resilient and carbon-zero future. I will be following it keenly to see what commitments there will be from the global world leaders.
Deforestation in Africa
I was horrified to read on Treeaid’s website that 70% of the forests in Africa have been cleared for agriculture, 700,000,000 hectors of land have suffered deforestation and 4,374,800 hectors of land have been lost PER YEAR from 1990 to 2020. These numbers are so huge that I can’t quite conceptualise the sheer size of the destruction. This destruction is not good, and action is needed and needed quickly.
I understand that the consequences of these actions are far reaching and devastating-not only to the communities and their futures, but to the local wildlife too.
Environmentalist response
Maurice Wanjala is an influential environmentalist in Africa, who has recently won a Disney award for his excellent work, and part of my role is helping him to set up a social enterprise to help sustain this work. Maurice has been making a significant difference to the people and the biodiversity in his area of Kipsaina, AND he is only just getting started. He has a great vision for change – climate change.
“Maurice has been making a significant different to the people and the biodiversity in his area of Kipsaina, AND he is only just getting started. He has a great vision for change – climate change.”
“Maurice has been making a significant different to the people and the biodiversity in his area of Kipsaina, AND he is only just getting started. He has a great vision for change – climate change.”
Maurice told me that some of the protected animals that live in the wetlands of Africa, (Yes there are wetlands in Africa) are pushed to living closer to the residents of the local villages, because their habitats have been destroyed. The wood from the trees have been used for fires to make bricks for building houses and schools etc. Farmers don’t want animals eating their harvest (which causes conflict) and shrinking habitats force animals to graze and nest there. Living in close proximity mean the long grass which is required for the protected Crane is cut back, negatively affecting their ability to nest and hatch their young. Cranes also have a beautiful mating dance which is also affected as they are often disturbed and just don’t feel safe, which in turn impacts on their very survival, putting them in competition for existence.
Communities struggle to find work and food and therefore move away to find a better life, taking skills, knowledge, labour and culture with them.
(Tree planting activity – KCWCG )
1 Million Trees
Maurice is planning to plant 1 million trees. Planting trees is the best way to remove carbon from the atmosphere as well as feeding communities, adding to the quality of soil, creating new habitats for wild life, and working towards reforestation. He will employ local people in the planting nursery to grow native trees, where the trees will be bought by companies wishing to offset their carbon footprint.
Communities will get food and gain a fair wage for planting, growing and looking after the trees, and collecting their fruits. There is more awareness about living in harmony with the environment and over the years Africa can become the lush, green space, with food a plenty, and a rich habitat for the wildlife to thrive.
Helen Dixon
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