March 16, 2020
In the first part of the ARC Environmental Series, we summarized an exciting new study that showed how trees may be just the thing we need to save the planet.
We also provided a few actionable ideas on how you can get involved with many reforesting initiatives throughout the globe. Yet, given the scope of the environmental problems we face, even with research and ideas, it’s easy to feel hopeless.
But you shouldn’t. And this post will show you why.
To get you inspired, we’ll summarize several recent stories of record-breaking reforestation efforts, sustainable technology development, and more.
Politicians are often big on promises while execution falls by the wayside. In Canada, though, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s promise to plant 10 billion trees by 2050 is backed by the findings of the University of Ottawa.
According to them, planting 10 billion trees isn’t just possible. It’s also the most affordable natural solution for reducing carbon emissions and fighting climate change. “The cost to plant those trees per tonne of emissions reduced would be between $16 and $36,” the study said.
In part one of the ARC Environmental Series, we summarized a study that showed how effective reforestation can be in the fight against climate. So when the people of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh planted 220 million trees in one day, it was an impressive and exciting feat.
Not only did it show the collective power of the people, it also put us 220 million trees closer to successfully combating the climate crisis.
Ethiopia managed to one-up India with a country-wide initiative that saw 350 million trees planted in just 24 hours. In Ethiopia, where forest coverage has declined from 35% of total land to just over 4% in the past century, this was a major achievement.
Yet, Ethiopia isn’t done. The tree-planting exercise, which is part of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, aims to plant a total of four billion trees in the coming years.
While tree-planting initiatives are critical for fighting climate change, so are tree-protection measures. In Indonesia, tree-protection earned a big win when President Joko Widodo permanently extended the moratorium on forest clearance in an area covering more than 66 million hectares. For reference, 1 hectare equals 2.47 acres.
With the permanent extension, no new permits will be issued for logging, timber, or palm plantations in the covered area.
Climate change is a complicated problem. So it helps to have multiple solutions—both natural and man-made. In Mexico, a startup designed BioUrban, an “artificial tree that sucks up as much air pollution as 368 real trees.”
The system isn’t as affordable as planting trees but it does provide a solution for areas where large-scale tree planting isn’t feasible.
Another tech company fighting climate change is using drones to boost reforestation efforts. The system is designed to plant trees ten times faster than humans. If they’re successful, the drones will be able to plant trees up for one-quarter of the cost of typical planting methods.
Incredible Feats of Reforestation: 2019 also saw the launch of ARC’s Print and Plant Initiative. The program is designed to help replace the natural resources we use when we print. So for every 8,333 sheets of paper—the amount of paper made from a single tree—ARC ensures that at least one tree is planted.