World Environment Day: JCI To Plant Thousands Of Trees To ‘Green’ Osun

.., Charges Residents To Imbibe The Spirit Of Tree Planting

A Non-Governmental organization, Junior Chamber International (JCI), Osogbo-Oroki chapter, on Friday urged residents of Osun state to plant tree which is environmental friendly, around their homes and environments.

JCI said as the rest of the world celebrate environmental day, Nigerians should not close their eyes and pretend that everything is alright with our environment.

The nonprofit organization of young active citizens age 18 to 40 pledged to plant thousands of trees in the state to combat climate change.

President, JCI, Osogbo-Oroki, Folashayo Olatubosun, disclosed these during a press conference addressed by the group ahead of World Environmental Day 2021 in Osogbo, Osun State capital.

Olatunbosun added that with the theme: “Ecosystem Restoration”, they need to do some litte things that can go a long way to restore ecosystem.

Those small and simple things according to her are growing trees, greening cities, rewilding gardens, changing diets or cleaning up rivers and coasts, saying this is the generation that can make peace with nature.

According to her, to restore the ecosystem of the environment, the massive planting of trees must be encouraged to fight against climate change because humans depend on trees for a sustainable environment.

Olatunbosun urged residents of the state to soak up the culture of keeping their surroundings clean and always avoiding cutting down trees.

Expressing their readiness to collaborate with civil society organizations to plant trees, JCI president called on individuals and organizations to plant trees to help save the environment.

She said: “Restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.

“Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity, yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases. Restoration can happen in many ways – for example through actively planting or by removing pressures so that nature can recover on its own.

“Be a part of the Solution
Between now and 2030, the restoration of 50,000 hectares of degraded terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in Osun State could generate US$1.28 billion in ecosystem services.

“Restoration could also remove 13 to 26 gigatons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere”, she said.

“The economic benefits of such interventions exceed nine times the cost of investment, whereas inaction is at least three times more costly than ecosystem restoration. All kinds of ecosystems can be restored, including forests, farmlands, cities, wetlands and oceans.

“Restoration initiatives can be launched by almost anyone, from governments, development agencies and non-profit organizations to businesses, communities and individuals. That is because the causes of degradation are many and varied, and can have an impact at different scales.

“Junior Chamber International (JCI) Osogbo Oroki, a local organization of the World Active Citizenship movement passionate about creating an enriched cultural heritage empowered with an entrepreneurial development zeal utilizing same to deliver endless possibilities on invites all sectors of the society within the Osun community to join us as we plant thousands of trees on Saturday 19th June 2021 a day set aside with an intention to save our climate in crisis ‘Tree Planting Day’ – an annual planting event coordinated by the organization – contributing to economic, social, and environmental development across the State.

“This is part of the JCI Osogbo Oroki multifaceted plans to expand and restore the State forest through a ‘1 million Tree Tsunami’ spread over 10 years.

“The campaign includes restoring mangroves, and forests as well as planting trees in urban settings, including schools, colleges, public parks and green belts.

“With this JCI Osogbo Oroki shall work with Civil Society Organizations in achieving the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration scheduled to run from 2021 to 2030 which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.

“Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Decade is building a strong, broad-based global movement to ramp up restoration and put the world on track for a sustainable future.

“That will include building political momentum for restoration as well as thousands of initiatives on the ground and as active citizens of the JCI movement of Osun State extraction we are set to create SUSTAINABLE COLLABORATIONS to achieve this and contribute our quota towards saving the planet as a people that treasures mother earth for economic prosperity as the Decade will shape the environment for current and future generations, it is vital that young people’s perspectives and feelings about ecosystems and biodiversity are taken into account.

“The aim of the day is to promote the spirit of planting at this time of the year, which is the planting season for fruit trees and medicinal plants in Osun.”

“Tree planting not only generates significantly higher incomes for farmers and local families than the traditional food crops, but they also provide food security and environmental rehabilitation”.

“Beyond environmental reasons, trees and forests are a vital part of human existence. Trees are vital. As the largest plants on the planet, they provide us with oxygen, store carbon, stabilize the soil and give life to the world’s wildlife. They also give us the materials for tools and shelter.

“Not only are trees essential for life, but also for living species on earth, they give us a link between the past, present and future. If you want to know the seasons Is it winter, spring, summer or fall? Look at the trees. It is necessary that woodlands, rainforests and trees, are preserved and sustainably managed across the world.

“Reforestation is needed to purify the air
Air pollution is a significant problem worldwide that affects human health and well-being, ecosystem health, climate, visibility, crops, and man-made materials.

“There are several health effects related to air pollution such as impacts on pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological systems.

“Trees and forests alter air quality through the direct removal pollutants, affecting local microclimates and building energy use.

“Air pollution is a global crisis, high concentrations of harmful gases and particles in our atmosphere negatively affects the health of humans, animals and plants, but there’s a natural remedy: forests.

“If we continue with our current rate of deforestation, it will have severe consequences on the quality of our air. To tackle global and local air pollution, we need to halt deforestation and plant billions of trees.

“Trees are considered as living air-purifiers. Clean air is a human right and air pollution does not only damage human health, but also harm the rainforest, wildlife and hamper the economy in many ways.

“Nine out of ten people worldwide breathe polluted air. This produces millions of illnesses and deaths and needs action to be reduced. Tiny pollutants from cities are being spread hundreds of miles to the rainforest and when they react with sunlight and volatile organic compounds from vegetation, chemicals are produced that can influence the local climate Therefore, trees act as air-cleaning machines, improving air quality in several ways.

“As well as absorbing excess carbon dioxide, their leaves trap the toxic pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide , ozone, and harmful microscopic particles produced by wood burning, diesel vehicles, and cooking. They act as an essential natural filter that absorb dangerous pollutants. So, they have a big role in reducing air pollution.

“Planting a tree is a lifelong investment and we can start doing it now. Photosynthetic carbon capture by trees is likely to be among the most effective ways to limit the rise of CO2 concentrations across the globe.

“Planting billions of trees across the world is one of the biggest and cheapest ways of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere. Reforestation can buy us time to cut our carbon emissions. Planting new trees remains vital to reverse the current trends of rising greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and forest destruction and bring them down to zero.

“Additionally, the restoration of trees remains among the most effective strategies for carbon emission mitigation. there is enough suitable land to increase the world’s forest cover by one-third without affecting existing cities or agriculture.

“It is not always possible – or desirable – to return an ecosystem to its original state. We still need farmland and infrastructure on land that was once forest, for instance, and ecosystems, like societies, need to adapt to a changing climate.

“Climate change in Nigeria is evident from temperature increase, rainfall variability (increasing rainfall in coastal areas and decline in rainfall in the continental areas), drought, desertification, rising sea levels, erosions, floods, thunderstorms, lightenings, bush fires, landslides, radiation, and loss of biodiversity, all linked to climate change have increased wildfire.

“Declining water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding and erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns. All of these will continue to negatively affect human life and the ecosystems in Nigeria.

“Our planet is suffering from a disease called Man. Human. Homo Sapiens. Of course, it starts with each one of us, from the choices we make in our daily lives. Especially when we talk about consumers who actually do have a choice.

“However, the amount of suitable land area diminishes as global temperatures rise. The area available for forest restoration could be reduced by a fifth by 2050 because it would be too warm for some tropical forests.

“We will be coordinating planting events across Osun, using plants provided by JCI (partnering with Mazota.ng) and the Osun State Government, the organization expects to donate over 2000 organic fruit tree saplings and medicinal plants to communities for Saturday’s June 19th 2021 Tree Planting Day.

“This will include high-value crops and other medicinal plants that are peculiar to our region. JCI and community partners will plant hundreds of thousands of trees over the course of the 2021 season.

“Governments’ responsibility is setting clear standards – such as that we want to have our energy sector CO2 neutral by 2050 –, be strict about them and then let the markets do the work and deliver green revolution.

“The free market where everybody can invest in new and environment-friendly solutions based on market conditions. When the subsidies and exceptions come in, it becomes much trickier and we may lose valuable time.

“How can people get involved with this initiative? Together we are stronger, and we can achieve more with the help of partners and friends than we can working alone.

“This pressing challenge is a global problem, and a global problem requires a global response. JCI Osogbo Oroki encourages collaboration between businesses, government institutions and other organizations, so that we can come together and solve this problem.
JCI Osogbo Oroki members have already been working at the local and national levels to create projects that help our local economies – JCI Osogbo Oroki World Cleanup Day Project for example. To members: keep doing what you are doing.

“Your efforts when combined create a greater impact than you know. But also encourage other community stakeholders, like business owners and government officials, to join you. Local action helps to create global impact and all together, we as JCI members are more than just the sum of our parts!

“While we strive to do our part JCI as an organization that strives to unite all sectors of the society makes a clarion call to YOU individually ensure you join this movement to ensure we live in a world where we enjoy serene and conducive weather conditions devoid of extreme climatic disasters.

“We believe that Earth’s Great treasure lies in Human personality. Therefore the role and responsibility of civil society is also very clear here, and well understood for you. Initiatives such as World Cleanup, in which JCI has been a major partner, are fundamental in combating waste blindness, and mobilizing people behind the cause.

“Together with JCI members, we will create a community of young environment activists. The commitments wouldn’t come easy.

“We invite citizens and community associations to get involved, but also schools, parents’ associations, women, cooperatives, children, interfaith groups and all those that would like to participate in planting this season’s life-giving trees.

“We are encouraging all communities across Osun and beyond to make the most of this year’s tree planting season and invest in their future livelihoods today. We will be present in different parts of the state on Saturday 19th June to assist those who may have never planted before, how to plant their trees for optimal results.
Start planting trees NOW!
Start planting today!

“Planting a tree is a lifelong investment and you can start doing it now. This is how we can achieve an environmentally friendly Osun State and I am quite sure that this way we are also able to achieve clean and green Nigeria.”