India hopes to break their world record for planting 66 million trees in just 12 hours.
Photo: Riju Bafna
The record breaking achievement was organized in an effort to show the country’s dedication to it’s climate goals and the Paris Agreement. Over 1.5 million volunteers gathered together on July 2, 2017 to plant twenty different species of saplings by the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh.
Volunteer citizens from all walks of life and ages gathered to be a part of the world record. You can see excitement in their faces as they show their commitment to bettering the environment and their country. Each volunteer reported planting about 44 saplings along the banks of the river. The outreach was so dense they spanned from 24 districts, that would be like every person in San Diego, CA showing up to plant trees.
“By planting trees we are not only serving Madhya Pradesh but the world at large.” said, Shirvraj Singh Chouhan, the State’s Chief Minister
The nation pledged $6 billion to reforesting and boosting plant cover on 235 million acres by 2030 in The Paris Agreement. Since the particulate matter concentration in some of India’s cities top the charts, the aim is for the forestry to help clean the air and reduce the country’s amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
Not only that, India is taking it’s commitment to The Paris Agreement seriously. Only a few years ago they were projected to triple their carbon footprint. A country majorly reliant on coal for thier energy needs, India’s future was looking grim by 2020. The Paris Agreement changed that tone and their vigor to turn it around is evident. With the cost of renewable energy dropping and their dedication, they are now projected to have 40% of their energy needs coming from renewable resources by 2030.
This is a win for the whole of humanity, the planet and a win for clean air!
Photo: Riju Bafna
