Several times in this blog, we have mentioned the importance of trees for not only providing habitat to various eco-systems, but also for their ability to take CO2 out of our air and replace it with nice, healthy oxygen. Way back at the beginning of Our Green Year, we planted trees that we had received, and we save paper by using recycled paper (and recycling the paper that we use). However, we wondered if there would be more than we could do regarding trees and that is how we came across Trees for the Future.Trees for the Future helps communities in developing countries plant trees. They provide seed and agro-forestry training, and all it costs us is $40, which will sponsor the propagation of 400 trees. This also makes a great gift for someone who cares about the environment.
Trees for the Future has been around since 1989 and has been helping communities around the world plant trees. They have empowered rural groups to restore tree cover on land that has been clear-cut, as well as by teaching them how trees protect the environment and preserve the traditional livelihoods and cultures of the communities for generations. For more information, you can visit their website here.
As a result, we have committed $40 to Trees for the Future to help plant 400 trees. They send a certificate to those who donate (we know that sending a certificate is not as green as we like, but it is how they do it) and we will be putting up a picture of us with it on the blog when it arrives.
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Usually, when we go for a walk, we pick up the garbage that we see around us and put it in a reusable cloth bag. Then we bring it home to recycle what can be recycled and throw away what must be thrown away. Last night I noticed one of our readers runs a blog called Clean Canada. On the blog, there were pictures of her son and her with the garbage they picked up to show what a problem this is. So, we decided that we should show what we find to illustrate the issue of littering. Today, I picked up a squashed disposable pop container, a plastic pop bottle, several chocolate bar wrappers, two cigarette packages and a plastic vegetable bag.
On another note, today Layla and I sold our patio furniture, gave away a spare printer and it looks like a table and bed set are being picked up later this week.
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Sadly, the United States appears to be lagging behind other countries in the protection of the environment. In this case, they lag behind Brazil, which recently decided to take down thousands upon thousands of billboards because they constituted light pollution. In Osceola, Florida, however, they have passed a law to chop down trees that block the views of billboards. As one billboard legislator said, "Those billboards are important, they feed lots of families. This is a tourism corridor. Tourism depends on billboards, not on trees." In all, 16 trees were cut down as can be seen in this picture below. For more information, read the article on Treehugger.com
