Plant a Tree -- Save the World - December 28, 2009

 

Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai made her mark with a simple but effective idea: Plant trees to stop erosion and restore the ecology in Kenya. In 1977, she started the Green Belt Movement, which is credited with planting 30 million trees.

The movement brought poverty-stricken Kenyans together to replenish natural resources as a means to boost the local economy. But Professor Maathai, aka "The Tree Woman," hasn't topped there. Now, she's tackling global warming. How? Yup, you guessed it: Plant more trees! Why? Carbon dioxide, the major culprit of global warming, is readily consumed by trees.

Because of rapid worldwide deforestation, we can no longer depend on natural forests to take care of our global surplus of CO2. Replacing dwindling forests not only helps to prevent climate change, but also beautifies our expanding cityscapes. So, join Maathai in her venture, the United Nation's Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, and go plant your tree of choice -- for Earth's sake.

Suggested Sites...

• United Nations Environmental Program: The Billion Tree Campaign - hoping to plant at least seven billion trees. Can you help?
• The Green Belt Movement - much more than just planting trees.
• National Geographic News: Global Warming Fast Facts - pictures presenting the consequences of climate change.
• Union of Concerned Scientists: Global Warming FAQ - direct answers to common global warming questions.
• The Global Warning Hoax - of course, not everyone believes we're in trouble.