International Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22. It began in 1970 and is now celebrated in more than 193 countries each year. It’s an acknowledgement which reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet. Earth and its ecosystems provide its inhabitants with life and sustenance and caring for the Earth is a collective responsibility, a call to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.
This year, the theme is ‘Trees for the Earth’
And with this year’s theme, it sets the goal of planting 7.8 billion trees over the next five years.
Why Trees?
Trees help combat climate change.
They absorb excess and harmful CO2 from our atmosphere. In fact, in a single year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 produced by driving the average car 26,000 miles.
Trees help us breathe clean air.
Trees absorb odours and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.
Trees help us to counteract the loss of species.
By planting the right trees, we can help counteract the loss of species, as well as provide increased habitat connectivity between regional forest patches.
Trees help communities and their Livelihoods.
Trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability and provide food, energy and income.
EcoProducts is particularly interested in how the Baobab tree helps communities and their livelihoods. Baobab trees provide an income to local communities through harvesting the fruit and producing an effective healing and beauty oil and highly nutritious baobab powder. However EcoProducts also has a Baobab Guardians tree planting program (see our recent blogs here and here). We’re delighted to be so aligned with this year’s Earth Day theme and we hope you’ll celebrate Africa’s iconic baobab tree and its fruits of the earth along with us.
