Time to restore our forest heritage, not plant more lonely trees

(EurActiv, 22 Jan 2020) Donald Trump surprised environmentalists when he announced the US would join the World Economic Forum’s one trillion tree planting initiative, writes Peter Wohlleben. However such schemes can turn into disasters if they aren’t implemented the right way, he warns.

Peter Wohlleben is a German forester and author of the international best-selling book “The Hidden Life of Trees”.

As someone who spends his days either immersed in woodland or telling stories about the wonders of the forests, I should be delighted that politicians, of all political hues are pledging to plant trees to save the planet.

This week, the man they call the “climate denier in chief”, Donald J. Trump, got in on the act, telling a Davos audience that the United States would join the World Economic Forum’s one trillion tree planting initiative.

The WEF initiative is part of a global trend, including the Bonn Challenge and the United Nations’ Billion Tree Campaign, in which tree planting is promoted as a climate solution.

The European Union is now weighing up its own tree planting strategies, and is committed to increasing the size and quality of Europe’s forests.

Forests, though, are much more than our allies in the climate emergency.

They satisfy our longing for undisturbed nature. They are a refuge for people who want to let their spirits soar in beautiful wild landscapes. They fortify our health, and clean our air and water.

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EurActiv, 22 Jan 2020: Time to restore our forest heritage, not plant more lonely trees