|
USAID
bringing trees to Africa, planting hope
It
is so much easier to point out what the
government is doing wrong than to acknowledge
what it is doing right. Rather than write
about some evil Bush has committed, I have
instead decided to draw attention to the
amazing progress our government is making
in replanting and rejuvenating parts of
Africa and Asia that were devastated by
deforestation.
It
is important to recognize the massive damage
incurred in Africa and Asia during the 1980s
to appreciate the progress being made now.
During the 1980s alone, about 37 million
acres of tropical forests were destroyed
due to farming and illegal logging. To put
it in perspective, that is an area about
one third of the size of California.
USAID,
a government agency devoted to the assistance
and development of other countries, has
made it a priority to become part of a forestry
alliance which is striving to undo some
of the damage from the 1980s. So far this
alliance has encouraged rural farmers to
plant more trees, and has taught them what
conditions are conducive for vegetation.
These
efforts are seeing amazing results, and
four million trees have already been planted.
Also, these reforestation groups have been
growing at an almost exponential rate, expanding
from an isolated area in Tanzania to Uganda
and India. This allows farmers in other
areas to reap the benefits of having more
trees. Trees loosen soil, allow for more
fertile soil, create cleaner air and provide
fruits and nuts for the local inhabitants.
This
progress will be beneficial not only to
those in the surrounding reforestation,
but for people in every area.
Trees
absorb greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide,
preventing them from adding to the deterioration
of the ozone layer. With fewer of these
gases in the atmosphere there is less deterioration
of the protection the ozone layer provides
for us. The addition of these trees will
also allow farmers to raise more crops due
to the increased fertility of the soil.
This is beneficial for the struggling economies
of many African nations.
With
these gifts comes great responsibility,
for those who must provide for the trees
and ensure their growth and for us, the
consumers.
We
must not be gluttonous in our consumption
of products made from trees. The devastation
in the 1980s was due to this seemingly unquenchable
need for products made from paper.
We
should learn from these mistakes and be
aware of our consumption in order to prevent
further damage.
There
are several practical solutions to the problems
caused by paper waste. The most obvious
is to recycle newspapers and other used
paper products. Also, find creative uses
for old paper products that cannot be recycled,
like magazines or colored paper.
Just
being aware of consumption will result in
lessening the amount of paper products used.
Monitoring consumption is key in allowing
these new plants to flourish.
Should
we choose to limit the use of tree products
now, we will be investing in the quality
of our air, and ultimately, the quality
of our lives.
Lauren
Williams is an undeclared freshman at CSULB.
|
