ONLINE CURRENTS VOL3 - Flipbook - Page 42
prime example of this recently surfaced in relation to Pakistan’s flagship Billion Tree Tsunami
project, which has been linked to widespread corruption, including proven cases of tenants
being evicted by landowners to make space for tree nurseries, and laborers’ daily wages
being embezzled.
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Many of the issues associated with large-scale tree planting could be avoided by recognizing
and centering community needs. One of the most pressing needs, especially in a rapidly
urbanizing world, is lack of personal connection and identification with nature and its
importance. Activities like beach cleanups and tree planting can be excellent points of entry
from an educational standpoint. Through establishing personal connection with the natural
environment, practices like these can foster a stronger sense of responsibility and care
towards it. They can also bring together like-minded communities and empower them to
incorporate sustainability into other aspects of their lives. Finding value in everyday
interactions with nature can motivate people to effect change at a larger, perhaps even
global scale.
Tree planting at scale: lessons learned from global initiatives
Tree planting has become one of the most talked-about climate solutions in political and
economic circles. The term became a buzzword at the 2020 World Economic Forum, where
nature-based solutions were at the top of the agenda. The WEF went on to establish the
Trillion Trees Project 5 , an ambitious project that aims to unite governments and private sector
organizations with the goal of planting one trillion trees by 2030. A host of major global
corporations have made pledges, like pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the oil
company Shell.
In 2019, Ethiopia set a new world record by planting more than 350 million trees in one day.
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Countries as diverse as China, Colombia, and Pakistan have implemented massive
reforestation schemes. In the corporate world, companies are facing increasing pressure to
reach “net zero” carbon emissions. Trees planted on a per-product or per-use basis have
become a popular strategy to “offset” emissions produced by everything from clothes to air
travel.
These statistics provide an explanation for why many tree planting programs fail—sites are
selected based on cost and convenience, rather than ecological suitability and resource
availability.7 The same goes for the species that are planted, as monoculture plantations are
cheaper to plant and easier to manage.
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