Opinion
Le'ts turn deserts into forests
KATUHIKO NISHIMURA 1998-99 president,
The Rotary Club of ONO Japan
It is generally accepted that there are many seriousglobal environmental probrems,namery global warming caused by the emission of greenhousegases(including carbon dioxide),the destruction of the ozone layer,and the destruction of toropical rain forests.
An internatinal meeting on ways to restrict the emission of greenhouse gases took place last year in Kyouto,Japan,buｔ the meeting ennded unsuccessfully.The countries participating in the United Nationssponsored event reached no real decisions,and left mamy problrems unresolved.
It is impossible,I think,to decrese or restrict the emission of carbon dioxide in the future,as long as people use petroleum and coal as energy sources.Iｔ is clear that no country can or will stop or restrict the developement of it's industry or the use of motor vehicles,which increase the level of carbon dioxide in the air.
Studies from Tokyo University reserchers estimate that Japan's annual emission of carbon dioxide is about 10metric tons(11.02U,S.tons)per person.If this holds true in the other countries, and if the Earth'population countinues to rise,then the problem of carbon dioxide emissions and the resulting effects on global warming will only worsen over time.
Such conditions must be avoided by all human beings for the sake of future generations.
On the other hand,one fourth of the world's land mass consists of enormous deserts;the Shara,Gobi,Rub'A1KhaLi,Kalahari,and others.
If people could plant enough trees to transform these deserts into forests,then the trees,trough photosynthesis,would convert carbon dioxide into oxigen at astonishing rates.
If the world's 1,2milion rotarians and more than 29,000 Rotary clubs helped plant these forests or financially assisted in such an effort,the greening of the world's deserts would progress rapidly.
Of all the world's organizations,only Rotary can undertakessuch a task,and we must accomplish it as soon as possible.
(From THE ROTARIAN/OCTOBER/1998 )
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