Each student, from elementary to university, will have to plant 10 trees by graduation or graduation. It happens in the Philippines where a law has just been approved that formalizes an already existing tradition, establishing this obligation in schools and universities across the country.
Filipino students will have to plant 10 trees from elementary to graduation
Each student, from elementary to university, will have to plant 10 trees by graduation or graduation. It happens in the Philippines where a law has just been approved that formalizes an already existing tradition, establishing this obligation in schools and universities across the country.
According to proponents of the law, the rule could lead to the planting of 525 billion trees in one generation.
The House of Representatives approved in the third and final reading a bill that requires all students in elementary, high school and universities to plant at least 10 trees each before they can graduate.
The representative of the Magdalo Party of the Philippines, Gary Alejano, first signatory of the law, has explained:
“With over 12 million elementary school students, nearly 5 million graduating students and nearly 500.000 graduating each year, this initiative, if implemented correctly, will ensure that at least 175 million new trees are planted each year.
In the worst case scenario, considering a plant survival rate of 10%, we are still talking about high numbers: 525 million new trees in a generation.
The trees will be planted in existing forests, some protected areas, military camps, abandoned mining sites and selected urban areas. The selected species will be chosen based on the location, climate and topography of the area and that there will also be a preference for those indigenous.
In addition to the immediate impact of trees absorbing CO2, the law aims to raise awareness among young people on the importance of the presence of trees and on the fight against deforestation. Indeed, the Philippines is one of the most severely deforested countries in the world with total forest cover falling from 70% to 20% in the XNUMXth century. Illegal logging is a real plague in the country, and the lack of trees in some areas has made the risk of floods and landslides even worse.
A beautiful initiative that involves young people and that gives oxygen and beauty.
READ also:
- 10 reasons to plant a tree
- Trees will save the world: planting a billion of them can eliminate C02 emissions by 10 years
- Cities need to think of trees as a public health infrastructure
Francesca Mancuso
