There is More to Climate Action Than Planting Trees

As we engage deeper into the issue of climate change, we must take a wholistic approach to the challenge that is threatening our existence and survival. We must ensure that the climate actions taken guarantee better results as we cannot afford to gamble on our planet. We must truly scrutinize the actions we are taking and see how impactful they are and whether they guarantee positive results. To start with, here is the big question, ARE WE DOING ENOUGH to combat change?

I have seen a number of governments in Africa who have initiated huge campaigns and programmes on tree planting. Well, this article is not seeking to discourage or disapprove these actions but raise a fundamental question of, ARE WE DOING ENOUGH, IS THAT ALL WE NEED TO DO? Tree planting is just a single way of combating climate change and as a single intervention, we can never truly achieve the goal of combating climate change.

To begin with, the greatest component of climate change is the carbon emissions and other heat-trapping gases. This means that, as long as human activities continue emitting these gases, our trees will not have the capacity to absorb all these gases. Continued accumulation of these gases will mean more heat getting trapped into the atmosphere hence worsening the effects of climate change. Additionally, we cannot plant trees on all our land as agriculture forms the greatest source of livelihoods for most of our African countries and the world. We still need to grow food. Otherwise, how can we survive without eating? Therefore, there is a limit to the number of trees we can grow at any given time. Again, there is a limit on how much of the carbon the trees can absorb from the atmosphere.

Considering this fundamental fact, we must start having a wholistic approach to this problem. Some of the basic questions being, how can we reduce mission of carbon and other heat-trapping gases? What other alternatives do we have that do not produce carbon and these other heat-trapping gases? What inventions and innovations can we incorporate in the efforts? What other interventions are viable and possible? Do we have framework or policy guidelines to guide other interventions?

We have a number of other interventions to address climate change such as:

1. Adoption of clean energy such as solar and wind to run our industries instead of fossil fuels
2. Responsible consumption that minimizes on waste
3. Going the organic way of farming instead of the synthetic/chemical way
4. Saving on energy use at home and in industries
5. Minimizing plastic use and adopting other packaging options

If we are truly committed to addressing climate change, tree planting as a sole intervention will not give us the desired results. We must commit to a wholistic approach. We need to do more to save our planet from climate change and its devastating effects.