The seventh-best-selling fiction author of all time Sidney Sheldon, an American writer, once said, “Try to leave the Earth a better place than when you arrived.” This advice reminds the indispensable responsibility of human being to protect nature through planting trees.
Nevertheless, it seems that these days man failed to carry out this responsibility effectively; he rather has continued damaging the environment without realizing the consequences. Due to deforestation and lack of protection for the environment, societies are suffering from the consequences of climate change across the globe.
More specifically, the consequences are highly affecting the developing nations without their contributions. The extreme climatic conditions like changes in temperature, loss of biodiversity and irregular rainfall are disrupting the ecosystem that would affect the livelihood of the societies in developing countries.
Researches indicate that the effective way to stem the consequences of climate change globally would be to plant more than a trillion trees. Realizing this, besides its previous relentless efforts, Ethiopia has recently launched an ambitious campaign of transplanting four billion seedlings in urban and rural areas of the country this rainy season. This well-coordinated campaign is not only inspiring but also producing far reaching contribution in reducing the impact of climate change. Hence it needs due cooperation from the international community.
Actually, Ethiopia, developing high sense of concern years ago, has been playing considerable roles in rehabilitating the environment and curbing the consequence of global warming. Though it does not contribute to global warming, it believes that its environmental rehabilitation efforts will have positive impact across the globe. For instance, through creating and implementing the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy that accelerates renewable energy development and energy efficiency, the country has not only accomplished exemplary deeds but also become a leading nation in providing solutions.
More importantly, imbedding the green economy into its national development plan, the nation has been planting massive seedlings for more than a couple of decades. As a result of this concerted effort, the nation’s forest coverage has been improved. It’s appropriate to deduce that Ethiopia has demonstrated a leading role for the other nations.
Of course, few skeptics failed to believe the reality of this global problem. Their argument cannot impede the necessity of the campaign of saving the nature through planting trees. Whatever reasons they are providing, they cannot deny the reality that the Earth does appear to be getting warmer and warmer. We would advise them they would rather believe in the problem and accompany the global endeavor for solutions.
Unquestionably, Ethiopia’s sustained effort for years and its recent decision to plant four billion seedlings in this rainy season incomparably deserve proper attention. Any development partner who would like to see a better world ought to appreciate this endeavor.
In short, this well-coordinated campaign to rehabilitate the environment through planting four billion seedlings within three months shall produce tremendous positive outcome for the nation and beyond. As the saying goes, “We have not inherited the land from our fathers; we have borrowed it from our children,” the current generation would proudly pass well-protected environment to the one to come besides providing global solution for climate change consequences.
The Ethiopian Herald, July 16/2019
