The United Nations Environment Programme has just announced that it is planning to plant 7 billion trees before the end of 2008 in an effort to absorb CO2 and slow down climate change.
If enough of them are planted it may be possible to make a difference and reverse some of the effects of deforestation at the same time.
Planting trees is the favourite past time of Tony Kirkham, Head of the Arboretum at Kew Gardens, and his companion Jon Hammerton .These wonderful tree fanatics are currently appearing in a TV programme called Trees that made Britain on BBC 2 every Friday at 19.30 which looks at how trees are under threat from both climate change and development.
On today’s programme, Tony showed the extraordinary lengths that people go to save trees. He talked about the Mediterranean garden he has now planted at Kew using olives and pine trees that will survive our warmer, drier summers. More and more of our traditional species are being affected by lack of water and also the invasion of parasites due to warmer temperatures so he is keen to encourage us to explore new varities that can cope with changing weather conditions.
Tony is an amazing guy with tons of tips about saving and planting trees that are really worth checking out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/tv_and_radio/trees_index.shtml
Fri, May 16, 2008
Trees, Kew Gardens