2011 is the International Year of the Forests and an Olympic milestone has been reached by a United Nations campaign that planted 12 billion trees around the globe. But the torch has been passed to a younger generation of green enthusiasts at a ceremony yesterday held at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. (See: “UN – Led Campaign That Planted 12 Billion Trees Worldwide Starts New Phase”) www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40664&Cr=trees&Cr1= Last year Diplomatically Incorrect introduced you to Felix Finkbeiner, age 13, who founded PLANT FOR THE PLANET. Felix addressed last year’s General Assembly and challenged the adults to save the planet. (See Film Report: - “One Boy/Many Trees”) diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/one-childmany-trees/24528 PLANT FOR THE PLANET, a German-based youth environmental organization will now carry on the work of the UN Environmental Programme’s (UNEP) successful "BILLION TREE CAMPAIGN." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised the campaign, its opportunities for greater sustainability, job creation, poverty reduction, security and its pathway to the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. Deforestation was high on this week’s agenda. Loss of forests has been highest in the tropics (South America, followed by Africa) where just under half of the forests are located. The positive news is that with extensive planting efforts, particularly in China, net gains in forests were reported between 1990 and 2005. (See: “Deforestation as Seen From Above”) diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/blog_post/deforestation-as-seen-from-above-by-ambassador-mo/42219 One hundred ninety-three (193) countries participated in the “The Billion Tree Campaign.” China planted 2.8 billion trees and is in the lead, followed by second-place India at 2.1 billion trees, followed by Ethiopia, Mexico, and Turkey. At the Conference, the Secretary-General lauded the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). There is financial value for carbon stored in forests and opportunities for developing countries. By investing in low carbon technologies and reducing emissions, benefits include sustainable development, financial incentives, green jobs, and a healthier environment. With Felix Finkbeiner and his youth network at the helm, I’m convinced the sky is the limit, eagles will soar, and we’ll all breathe a little bit easier. ---By, Susan Sacirbey Facebook-Become a Fan at “Diplomatically Incorrect”





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