Across the world, trees are being felled indiscriminately for industrialisation and urbanisation. This upsets the balance of the environment and threatens human health and the climate. World Environment Day is observed globally on 5 June to raise awareness.
Trees play an immense role in protecting our environment. Every living creature depends directly or indirectly on trees or plants. In a word, life on earth is unthinkable without trees.
How trees protect the environment
Trees help keep the balance of gases in the air. When carbon dioxide levels rise, temperatures rise, because the gas traps heat, which is now well known as the greenhouse effect. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and help reduce the greenhouse effect, while adding oxygen and keeping the ratio of gases in the atmosphere steady. In this way they reduce air pollution and keep the air clean.
Trees also help bring rain. Without trees, fertile productive land slowly turns to desert. Rain is needed to keep soil fertile, and plants are needed for rain.
Trees play a large part in preventing soil erosion. They soften the force of heavy rain and protect land from breaking away, and their roots hold the soil together. Plants are essential for biodiversity, providing food and shelter for countless species. People get food, medicine, fuel and building materials from trees, which also make the surroundings beautiful and lift people's spirits. By reducing pollution and beautifying the environment, plants do the most to improve both physical and mental health.
What each of us can do
We ourselves are responsible for the environmental crisis we now face, so each of us has something to do. Urbanisation, industrialisation and the modernisation of agriculture keep worsening the crisis, yet it is not possible to stop or slow industrialisation and urbanisation. What is needed is a balance between development and conservation.
Trees can play the most important and effective role here, and every person can contribute to conserving and increasing plant life. Everyone should plant as many trees as they can around their homes or in open spaces each planting season. Only then will the environment stay healthy, and so will our lives and health.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
Comments
(0)