Volunteers Gather in India to Plant 250 Million Trees to Combat Climate Change

Child with Tree Sapling

Photo: Stock Photos from PRASANNAPIX/Shutterstock

On July 5, 2020, two million people in Lucknow, India gathered in a valiant act of defiance against climate change. Their goal? To plant over 250 million trees on riverbanks, farmlands, and around government buildings. With tree saplings in hand and strict social distancing orders in place, the countless volunteers, government officials, and lawmakers worked tirelessly throughout the day. The event—which is just one of the many scheduled to occur in India—is focused on meeting a “trillion trees planted” benchmark.

According to a 2019 study from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the planting of a trillion trees globally could prove to be the single-most effective way to fight climate change. The findings of that study have further sparked the lofty and ongoing environmental goal in India. It’s an initiative that's aimed at keeping a third of India’s land area under lush forest and tree cover—that’s a staggering 235 million acres of trees by the year 2030.

Hands Planting a Tree

Photo: Stock Photos from SERDTHONGCHAI/Shutterstock

Despite the vast quantity of saplings that were planted, and optimism surrounding the event, there’s a growing concern over the longevity of the trees. It’s common for 40% of  the tree saplings to succumb to disease or dehydration, leaving only 60% of saplings to survive. According to government spokesperson Awanish Awasthi, the trees planted during the July 5 event “were tagged and video recorded,” in an effort to not only ensure their survival, but also to make sure they thrive.

India Covered in Trees

Photo: Stock Photos from DOERS/Shutterstock

h/t: [AP]

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Sonya Harris

Sonya Harris is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and a multi-platform artist and storyteller based in Seattle, Washington. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and has worked in Audio Production for Seattle NPR station KUOW. With a passion for storytelling in podcasting, Sonya is also an avid lover of tea, watercolors, photography, and film. She considers herself a voracious learner and seeker of the peculiar, whimsical, and inspiring.
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