From American Public Media's Speaking of Faith:
Our guest founded the Green Belt Movement — a grassroots organization that empowers African women to improve their lives and conserve the environment through planting trees. Deforestation and climate change have plunged Africa into the worst drought in decades. After helping plant 30 million trees, she speaks about the global balance of human and natural resources and shares her thoughts on where God resides. - Planting the Future
30 million trees. 30 million! Makes me look in the mirror and ask myself what I've done for my community lately. This started from a simple, smart idea and some serious organization. Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 to establish "green belts" of designated areas of park, farm, or uncultivated land around a communities. This protects natural environments (preventing soil erosion, desertification & drought) and has some very positive environmental and social effects.
One notable aspect of this is the connectivity and political impact. A note in the program particulars caught my eye:
Consider the conflict in Darfur in the Sudan. What catches the eye is that this is a conflict between Arabs and Africans, between the government, various armed militia groups, and civilians. Below this surface, however, lies the desertification that has taken place in the last few decades, especially in northern Darfur. The desert has spread southwards, forcing Arab nomads further and further south year by year, bringing them into conflict with African farmers.
How can we connect environmental changes to political impact? How can we conceive and plan basic changes for substantial environmental impact?
What other ways can we plant our future?
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Julia Schrenkler
American Public Media Interactive Producer
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American Public Media invites you to explore the time-tested concept, sustainability. Living a Sustainable Life highlights the need to build replenishing systems that can supply the present without compromising the future.
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Comments: 9
In a win, win, win scenario we could help alleviate poverty by helping indigenous peoples restore and protect their forests. The fires set in the Borneo rainforest in 1997 and 1998 produced more carbon pollution in two months than was produced in all of Europe for the entire year. If some of the billions of dollars spent in carbon trading were diverted to supporting forest preservation and forest restoration it would be possible to reduce a major cause of global warming, protect species diversity, and help alleviate poverty.
It's not utopian, it's common sense. Imagine Haiti with trees.
Your point is eloquent: It's not utopian, it's common sense. Perhaps our values in the global community need to reflect that more. I have to wonder if people truly understand what Maathai set in motion, and can't wait to see the ripple effect from this movement over the next 30 or 40 years.