We waited too long

By Alex P. Vidal

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”—Warren Buffett

THE Iloilo City Government will soon start planting 100,000 tress to deal with the worldwide phenomenon climate change.

Excellent move. Kudos to whoever conceptualized this idea.

Had we foreseen this climate aberration a hundred years ago, or way back in 1924 and earlier, could we have started seriously planting trees earlier?

Had we, or our ancestors, known about climate change, we, or our ancestors, could have started educating the children about the importance of protecting and preserving our environment and natural resources years earlier.

According to Confucius, “If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children.”

“Starting” to plant some 100,000 trees only soon may be too late now that we are in the threshold of melting down and destruction owing to the abnormal weather condition we are experiencing.

But, as the popular saying goes, it’s better late than never.

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We’ve cleared 46 percent of trees globally since the beginning of human civilization, according to Earthday.

And today, with our sprawling urban areas and wide open fields, it’s tough to envision what a truly wooded world looked like.

In 2022 alone, Earthday says we lost 22.8 million hectares of tree cover to deforestation, logging and fires — equivalent to a soccer field of trees every six seconds.

Climate change doesn’t help matters: New findings suggest that deforestation, alongside rising temperatures, is transforming what’s left of our forests, keeping trees smaller and younger.

We have been reminded repeatedly since our elementary years in school that planting trees has many benefits for the environment.

Trees hold water, prevent flooding, recharge underground aquifers, and maintain water vapor in the atmosphere, increasing the opportunity for rainfall.

1. Trees also improve the quality of natural surroundings by reducing soil erosion, enhancing water quality, and protecting groundwater supplies.
2. Mature trees protect communities against flash floods and landslides by stabilizing soil and absorbing water.
3. Trees also help to fight the greenhouse effect, filter air pollution, and reduce ozone levels in urban areas4. Additionally, trees sequester carbon, helping to remove carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the air, which cools the earth.

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TOP 20 WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 1. Bananas; 2. Apples; 3. Carrots; 4. Tomatoes; 5. Iceberg Lettuce; 6. Ranges; 7. Broccolis; 8. Grapes; 9. Winter Quashes; 10. Onions; 11. Pears; 12. Watermelons; 13. Peaches; 14. Spinach; 15. Zucchini; 16. Cauliflowers; 17. Strawberries; 18. Cabbages; 19. Cucumbers; 20. Cantaloupes. Source: Produce Retailer.

LAST SEASONAL FRUITS. Fresh cherries are one of the few items in the produce department that don’t have year-round availability. Imports start in November and run through January from Chile, then pick back up back in May from California and end in late August or early September from the North-West and British Columbia. There can be as much as 5 to 6 months with no cherry availability.

VOLUNTEER. If we give under duress, we grumble and express displeasure because it is against our will. But we if love somebody, we volunteer to give even if we are not asked to do so because that is the dictate of the heart. (alexpvidalquotes)

ABNORMAL. The weather anywhere in the world today is abnormal. Summer and winter have become unpredictable. Earthquake here, earthquake there, earthquake anywhere. Volcanic eruption here, volcanic eruption there and everywhere. If we don’t take the climate change and environmental issues seriously and be aware of what’s going on in every nook and cranny worldwide before it’s too late, we will one day wake up in a naked world.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)