Hi everyone, I thought it would be nice to share some uplifting environmental news with you all! Last month, I wrote about environmental responsibility in the wake of the US’s departure from the Paris Climate Accord, and the need for individuals, the private sector, and state and local governments to step up. Recent events in India are a perfect example of the positive impact this collaboration can have on the environment.
Earlier this month, some 1.5 million volunteers in India planted more than 66 million trees in 12 hours! The effort was organized by the government of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, and will likely surpass the current world record -- which was set by India, when 49.3 million trees were planted in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in 24 hours.
These two massive tree-planting campaigns are part of India’s commitment to the Paris Climate Accord, in which they pledged more than $6 billion to reforest 235 million acres of land in the country by 2030.
Trees are able to sequester carbon dioxide from the air and reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere -- which makes this an important mission for India, the third largest CO2 emitter in the world, and home of six of the world’s ten most polluted cities.
This massive effort is inspiring, and I look forward to seeing what other awesome campaigns India -- and the rest of the world -- puts into action over the coming years.
- Jake