Both in government corridors and private sector spaces,
environmental conservation has become hot topic these days. Whether we talk
about an International Conference or the launch of a new green project,
everyone seems to be talking about preserving Earth while incorporating a great
deal of green innovative efforts to make the use cases more efficient.
Every city in the world has contributed to the damages of
the environmental causes and climate change and thus it requires every city in
the world to take actions to correct the suffocating of the Earth.
Unfortunately, Pacific Island countries are significantly
exposed to the environmental disruption than the rest of the planet. Some may argue
that it is not our doing that we encounter this environmental disaster. While
others may say that we are part of the contribution to the global greenhouse
effect not in a big way like those factories and developed countries but in our
daily lives we have harness and widely used made-made things which are foreign
to the natural environment such as plastics bags. In the last couple of years,
we have observed a considerable rise in floods, cyclones, volcanoes, storms,
bushfires and landslides in the very region.
While bushfire in Australia rampaging the region, Fiji has
been hit hard by cyclone in recent times. Meanwhile, PNG has recorded the first
climate change refugees in the world due to rising sea levels.
Climate change is real and it requires everyone’s active
participation in the either adaption or mitigation measures. PNG is a
resilience society and offers the world a third of its ‘lungs’ with the intact
forests.
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| In the streets of Port Moresby, notices have been placed by NCD not to cut trees. Image Credit: Peter Kinjap |
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| NCD's public notice to refrain people from cutting down trees. Image Credit: Peter Kinjap |
As responsible citizens
and being member of the global community, we can add value to the global
solutions and contribute to the world’s lungs. And that is to plant more trees
where applicable and possible. Travel4Green (T4G) PNG is a climate change
mitigation project that wishes to sustain the indigenous intact forests in the
country and plant more trees under its “10-million
trees by 2030 in PNG” program.
Being the second-largest
island in the World, with a virgin forest area covering 29 million out of the
country’s 46.28 million hectares of landmass, the move towards planting more
trees is quite significant.
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| Rain-tree nursery setup by T4G in Port Moresby. Image Credit: Peter Kinjap |
Travel4Green (T4G) PNG will determine, record and show
the tourists as to how ‘negatively impacting’ their trip was to the efforts of
the local and international communities. In the long run, this project will
gather a significant amount of data that can be viewed and interpreted in the
future to determine the pros and cons of tourism by applying certain
filters/conditions.
One of T4G’s objectives is to plant 10-million trees by
2030 in PNG. Trees create the very air we breathe and filter air pollution. Trees also
help to reduce ozone levels in urban areas.
Most importantly, trees sequester
carbon, helping to remove carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the
air, which cools the earth.
When you plant trees in your yard and around your
home, they'll provide shade to cool your home and windbreaks to reduce cold
winds. So start planting trees in your community - in parks, around
schools, hospitals or clinics and in urban areas too.
If you are residing in Port Moresby, you can plant
trees in your own yard as long as the roots and branches would not damage
nearby properties. T4G has a mini tree nursery setup in Morata 2 and now inviting
city residents who wish to plant the rain
trees around their yard may contact the writer to get seedlings.
How far away from the house should one plant a tree?
Determining the location of shade trees;
large trees, up to 70 metres or more should be
planted at least 20 metres from the home, medium-sized trees up to 70
metres tall, 15 metres from the home, and small trees 30 metres tall
or less, 8 to 10 metres from the home.
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| T4G's raintree nursey in Morata 2. Image Credit: Peter Kinjap |
Additionally, they provide habitat for birds and other
wildlife. A mature tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds
of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester 1 ton
of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.
Planting more trees is a great way to sequester carbon emissions.
Through photosynthesis trees absorb carbon dioxide to produce oxygen
and wood. By ensuring that the trees planted are native broad leaf
species you can help to preserve the world's environment and biodiversity.
Planting trees has the potential to deliver huge benefits
for our environment, our people, our communities and our economy as well.
Under the planting 10-million trees by 2030 project
initiated by T4G, the focus is on making it easier to plant trees using its
current volunteer network nationwide. They currently have volunteers in Morobe,
Simbu, Goroka, Central, Manus, Mt. Hagen, Buka, Milne Bay, East New Britain and
Madang.
It’s a nationwide project starting in Port Moresby.
Invitations have been sent to government bodies and private sector players to
be part of the project to address climate change and plant more trees.
Meanwhile, New Zealand is planning to plant a billion
trees by 2028. Their aim is to see trees integrated into the landscape to
complement and diversify their existing land uses, rather than see large-scale
land conversion to forestry. They want to see innovative ideas, research and
sector development that will improve the way New Zealanders plant and grow
trees.
To plant the right tree, they want to encourage both
permanent and plantation forests made up of exotic and native tree species. It encourages
the planting of native species to improve biodiversity.
To plant at the right place, they
wanted trees planted to be suitable for the site and their intended use, aligning
tree planting with local land-use and planting priorities and strategies.
To plant for the right purpose,
they wanted to make sure tree planting is well-planned and considers the
long-term maintenance and end-use of the trees. Commercial viability for
production forests and protection for permanent forests should be thought
through before planting. They also want to make sure plantings take local
social, environmental, cultural and economic priorities into account.
In order to meet the emissions reduction target to
achieve the reduction of 2.5 million tons of carbon-dioxide over the next five
years starting in 2019, Fiji is also investing to plant more trees.
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Forests, Pene Baleinabuli at the REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries) Environmental Stewardship Inter-Faith Based Organization Leaders Awareness Forum at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva said “The aim for Fiji is to plant 4 million trees in four years, to get the communities involved and actively engage with them and the Ministry of Forests wants to establish nurseries around the country where we will invite members of the community to look after them.”
The objective is to create awareness of Fiji's National REDD+ Program amongst the interfaith based organizational leaders.
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Forests, Pene Baleinabuli at the REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries) Environmental Stewardship Inter-Faith Based Organization Leaders Awareness Forum at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva said “The aim for Fiji is to plant 4 million trees in four years, to get the communities involved and actively engage with them and the Ministry of Forests wants to establish nurseries around the country where we will invite members of the community to look after them.”
The objective is to create awareness of Fiji's National REDD+ Program amongst the interfaith based organizational leaders.
For PNG, T4G is inviting the government and private
sector players to join the efforts to plant 10-million trees by 2030. Plastic
ban could be the last option for PNG, the negative impacts on plastic ban to
business houses especially small PNG businesses replying on plastic bags to
make their business easier would now face hard times effecting the country’s
economy. Planting more trees is an easy way out to fight climate change such a
country like PNG would take action. Not plastic ban at this time.
The article was first published in;
The National Newspaper - https://www.thenational.com.pg/ten-million-trees-by-2030/
PNG Attitude Blog - https://www.pngattitude.com/2020/02/planting-trees-to-fight-climate-change.html
Related articles on planting more trees in PNG.
The National Newspaper - https://www.thenational.com.pg/ten-million-trees-by-2030/
Post Courier Newspaper - https://postcourier.com.pg/mori-starts-advocacy-for-tree-planting/
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