Yesterday was National Tree Planting Day. So what is the day really about? For starters, it is not one of the national holidays recognised under the Constitution, so what necessitated it?
Well, to begin with, the world is currently at a crossroads between further industrialisation and global gas emissions and the impact this has on climate change, whose effects are massive and catastrophic.
The current forest cover is 12 per cent of the total landmass, a slight improvement from the seven per cent cover a decade ago. To achieve this, hard and often painful decisions had to be made, including reclaiming grabbed forest land, eviction of squatters from the Mau Forest as well as designating certain regions as protected areas of indigenous forests.
The importance of forests in curbing greenhouse emissions cannot be understated since the role of trees in the natural filtration of air is a well-known process. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and other impurities in the air and in return provide oxygen, which is the breathable air we survive on.
As the global population rises, there is increased pressure on governments and corporations to provide resources to sustain the population. From electricity to gas to the internet, the list is endless. This calls for more industrialisation.
As industries expand, the global carbon emissions shall also increase. Recently, it was reported in the media that Kenya had sold 2.2 million carbon credits to Saudi Arabia.
This in a nutshell means that for a certain period of time, Kenya has ceded its rights to industrialise in favour of Saudi Arabia. As such, Saudi Arabia shall continue with its industrialisation plans unimpeded, even with the threat of global annihilation, which is evident through changing weather patterns and weather-related catastrophes.
These catastrophes include hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, droughts, floods and heatwaves, which have become all too common they are no longer newsworthy.
Therefore, it is imperative for the country to take this as a sign of bad days ahead and take proactive steps to curb the effects of climate change.
I applaud the government for the initiative to have a national tree planting day. However, just like in my primary school years when planting trees was the norm rather than a one-off event, we can do better by creating a culture of environmental protection where every citizen plays their part in conserving it.
Overall, the goal was to attain 150 million trees in a day but imagine how much more this would be if the same was done say once a month? We would definitely surpass this target and go on to achieve great forest coverage even beyond global standards.
Additionally, we would lead by great example as an eco-friendly environment suitable for the habitation and existence of all living species. We only have one planet, so let us conserve it diligently.
Lawyer/counselling psychologist. [email protected]
