December « 2009 « Mannkind Charity

December 28, 2009

Where are all the trees and what are they doing?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: City of Surrey Parks Board, Copenhagen, deforestation, forest management, Surrey, trees — admin @ 10:24 am

Hi All,

This past week we got some good news from the city of Surrey Parks Board!

They have managed to locate a central site that can accommodate & sustain the 10,000 trees we are committed to planting in the Spring of 2010!

We are already garnering volunteers & sponsorship from the local Surrey business community and we look forward to putting on an event that will be both fun & educational.

The spot is Maple Park in Surrey, BC. Located at 84th Avenue & 149th Street, right next to Maple Green Elementary (see link for aerial photo) - maple-park1

All this talk of trees got me thinking– where are all the trees and what are they doing?

Sounds simple and silly enough but after a little research I found a whole new appreciation for our tall green friends and their role in sustaining & stabilizing our planet’s soil, climate and water cycles; not to mention the fact that they are home to millions of plants, animals and bugs!

Here’s the link to an uber-informative guide that highlights the great forests of the world; it touches on their past prominence, current conditions and future outlook.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2007/dec/13/forests

I also ran across a cutting edge tool, developed by Google and unveiled at the Copenhagen Climate Summit, that is helping scientists and forest managers map & model the effects of deforestation in real time!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/10/google-technology-deforestation

Andrew G

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December 10, 2009

Can it be done?! 1,000,000 trees planted in only one-hour?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: Add new tag, eco, nature, news, tree planting, treeplanting, UK, world record — admin @ 9:30 am

Hi All,

Wow! It’s amazing to think about the logistics of putting 1,000,000 trees into the ground in only one-hour but that’s not hampering an eco-happy bunch of community groups in the UK from giving it their best shot!

The current record is held by the Philippines with 653,000 trees planted in an hour. This new mark of one million will hopefully encourage other nations to accept the challenge of going GREEN in a hurry!

But for these UK eco-enthusiasts it’s about more than a record, it’s about instilling an appreciation for the natural world. Headteacher Mike Poppit puts it best,

“As educators, it’s vital to emphasise to future generations the importance of taking care of our environment and to replenish natural resources where we can. What better way is there than planting trees with today’s children, who can watch the trees grow over time, and to come back to as adults with their children?”

In a word - AWESOME!!!

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2009/12/09/teesside-groups-take-part-in-tree-planting-world-record-attempt-84229-25349649/

Andrew G

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December 9, 2009

Copenhagen Update (Climate Summit Dec. 7-18)…is it HOT in here or is it just us??

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: Add new tag, Climate Change, Copenhagen, eco, environment, global warming — admin @ 1:48 pm

Hi All,

The Copenhagen climate summit is now under way and from the look of it humanity is in a real bind– atmospherically, biologically, politically, & economically.

We are now in the midst of the warmest decade on record, the affects of which are being felt around the world (floods, drought and desertification… to name a few).
We need money to fund the transition to greener technologies & infrastructure but we’re in a recession right now and so developed nations are stretched thin, at least for the short to mid-term.
We need countries to seriously & sincerely cut carbon emissions in order to keep global warming tolerable but looming & obnoxious questions remain: who should cut first, when and by how much? Is every country equal or are developing nations “entitled” to their share of emissions in order to secure acceptable living standards?
We need to conserve trees in order to maintain ecosystems & improve air quality but we also need jobs, farm land & homes.

I am beginning to see a pattern here and there appears to be no easy solution for anyone. What issues related to climate change are important to you? If you could stand-up and address the assembly gathered in Copenhagen what would you say?

For some reason a quote by Groucho Marx comes readily to mind for an opening sentence, “politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying all the wrong remedies.”

And given the track record of these of these global eco-summits I can only hope that the pressing timelines propounded by the scientific community provide enough impetus for unbridled global action!

We are now into day 3 under the big tent, here are some articles to get you up to speed with the main issues, stories & personalities of the 2009 climate summit:

Here’s a great starter guide for the Copenhagen Summit:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2009/dec/07/copenhagen-climate-change-carbon-emissions

The US and China have a big part to play but here are some other nations to keep your eye on,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/30/countries-to-watch

Here’s a Copenhagen jargon buster,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/22/climate-change-glossary-jargon

Here’s some juicy “gossip” regarding a possible breakdown in cooperation & shared understanding between developed and developing nations that will live on in infamy as “the leaked Danish draft” ,