Planting a tree could be the single most impactful thing you can do to stop climate change.
The 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP25, takes place in December.
From December 2–13, 2019, people from around the world will attend COP25 in Madrid to discuss the global climate, carbon dioxide emissions, and increasing temperatures.
Goodwall is partnering with the Trillion Tree Campaign. Together, we are encouraging members to pitch climate action ideas, big or small, to the world.
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Would Planting 1 Trillion Trees Change Anything?
Most definitely!
In 2015, Professor Tom Crowther et al., from the ETH Zürich university in Switzerland, published a groundbreaking study, Mapping tree density at a global scale. In it, they listed some scary findings, to say the very least:
- 15 billion trees are estimated to be cut down each year, 3x more than the number of trees planted;
- Reforestation efforts take long, up to 50–100 years from planting to get the full effect;
- The total amount of trees globally has decreased by 46%—almost half—since human civilization first began.
However, the research team made some encouraging findings, as well. Their updated analysis estimates there to be around 3.04 trillion trees globally, far higher than the previous estimate of 400 billion. On top of that, Plant-for-the-Planet estimates that 1 trillion additional trees would remove 25% of human-made carbon emissions each year.
Planting trees around the world is not only one of the easiest ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but it’s also about the cheapest. Plenty of cost-efficient tree-planting projects exist—many of which you can find on the TTC website—where the individual cost per tree is $0.30 or less.
Related Read: 15 Earth Day Tips to Support the Environment & Stop Climate Change
How is Goodwall Working With the Trillion Trees Campaign?
Sharing ideas and saving the environment are two issues at the very core of Goodwall’s mission, just as it is for millions of millennials and Gen Z around the world.
So, we decided to mix them together for one powerful campaign!
See, ideas need to be shared to have any chance for becoming solutions. So, from now until the very end of 2019, Goodwall is hosting a Good Idea Competition. To participate, members must pitch a climate action idea as a 30-second video or a shared post on the platform.
For each idea shared, Goodwall will plant one tree through the Trillion Tree Campaign (up to 5,000!).
But, that’s not all!
If you want more motivation or encouragement for sharing ideas to combat climate change and help save our planet, how does $1000 sound? That’s right, each post or video idea on the topic of climate action will be entered into a drawing for the $1000 Good Idea Award!
Goodwall will feature and promote the most powerful climate action ideas you pitch to our community of over 1 million members in 150+ countries to help them gain traction and visibility. Then, in January 2020, Climate-KIC, a Goodwall partner, will choose and feature the very best idea at the Climathon Global Awards in Paris.
What is the Trillion Tree Campaign?
The Trillion Tree Campaign aims to do just that—plant an additional one trillion new trees globally.
Back in 2007, then 9-year-old Felix Finkbeiner became inspired by Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan political and environmental activist. Wangari is revered for creating the Green Belt Movement, as well as for planting over 30 million trees in 30 years in and around Kenya.
Felix had a simple vision: to inspire other children like himself to plant trees around the world and offset CO2 emissions. This initiative became Plant-for-the-Planet, a global movement sticking to its original goal of planting trees to fight climate change.
In 2018, Plant-for-the-Planet announced their Trillion Tree Campaign through a joint declaration signed by Felix, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and almost 30 other signatories. So far (it’s been a little over a year), 13.6 billion trees have been planted through the Trillion Tree Campaign.
What Can I Do to Help?
Spread the word, and share your ideas!
There are never enough good ideas, but ideas must be shared. If you keep them to yourself, they’ll wither up and die, never getting the chance to reach its potential. Why share ideas? Sharing your ideas gives them the feedback, critique, and support it needs to become an actionable solution.
So—
Are you ready to pitch your idea and help us save the planet?
Log on to Goodwall’s app from your mobile device (iOS and Android). Once there, tap the “+” button at the bottom of your screen. Then, share a “post” or “idea” on climate action with the entire Goodwall community!
(If you need help, here’s a guide on how to pitch an idea on Goodwall.)
Climate action ideas could be large or small, from finding a way to stop rising sea levels to simple tips on how to recycle effectively. Because, when you share your idea with 1m+ Goodwall members in 150+ countries, even the smallest idea can change the world.