Trees for
Life

Trees are the essence of life and without them there would be no life, as we know it. They play a vital role in sustaining the ecosystem we live in. A study in 2015 revealed that the total number of trees on the planet was just over 3 trillion. The number might seem enormous, and we might even begin to think that we do not need to plant more trees. However, that is exactly where we are wrong and need to act upon it.

Before the dawn of the human civilization, the number of trees was double than it is today. Even now, on an annual basis nearly 15 billion trees are lost because of human activities. With climate change and global warming becoming critical concerns, the talk of tree conservation is gathering momentum. Playing a significant role in promoting reforestation and afforestation among the people is the 'Trees for the Earth' campaign promulgated by the Earth Day Network - the world's largest environmental movement.

In 2020, Earth Day will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, and as citizens of the earth, we all have a duty to perform for its conservation. Even if all of us plant a single tree, it will make an enormous difference to the conservation effort. Taking into account the fact that the earth's population will be around 7.8 billion by 2020, we are looking at a staggering figure of 7.8 billion trees!

Trees offer innumerable benefits that we often tend to take for granted. Here are a few of the major benefits that trees offer:

• Trees do the amazing job of absorbing carbon dioxide and other harmful gases from the air and releasing oxygen, which is required by humans for their survival.
• The canopies of trees act as a natural filter that traps dusts and pollutants in the air. Not to mention, they are also a great source of protection from the sun.
• Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it within themselves in the form of carbon. This helps in the reduction of global warming.
• Trees help in reducing wind speeds and cool the air. Their leaves reflect heat by as much as 7 °C making the environment cooler.
• Trees offer amazing medicinal properties. Even their presence can have a calming effect on us. A place full of greenery leads to better health.
• Trees are a great addition to urban areas as they enhance their natural beauty and help in noise reduction thereby promoting peace and quietness.

Besides these, trees offer several other benefits. Most importantly, they create an ecosystem to provide habitat and food for hundreds of species of plants and animals.

Now that you are aware of the numerous benefits that trees offer, you would be interested in doing your bit to help the cause. You can easily do that by planting some trees yourself, motivate others to do the same, volunteer for an organisation with the same cause as yours and contribute financially if you can. Awareness is the key here.

Therefore, spreading the word to your acquaintances can make a huge difference.