Drying out of the earth
Reviving a green planet
This issue is the last in a series of three topics concerning the environment. Today we'll look at how the decreasing amount of vegetation impacts the soil.
Based on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), it appears the amount of the world's vegetation is decreasing at a rate of about 20 soccer fields per minute. This decline in plant life accelerates global warming by reducing the force of photosynthesis, which turns carbon dioxide into oxygen. Ultimately, if the ecosystem is destroyed, this could lead to the extinction of living things.
In December 2007, an international conference was held in Bali that produced the "Bali Road Map" to outline a strategy to decrease the effect of greenhouse gases. For the first time in an international agreement, protection of the forests is mentioned. The Bali plan demonstrates that international awareness of the need to cooperate in order to solve these environmental issues is gaining strength.
After completing our interviews for this assignment, we discussed the ways we might help protect the environment. We hope readers of Peace Seeds will consider concerns of the environment to be personal challenges that they can influence and that this way of thinking will grow in the world.
Greetings from Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Message of support for Peace Seeds
Wangari Maathai, 67, an environmental activist in Kenya and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, responded to our request to share her message with Peace Seeds readers as we close our series on environmental issues.
She responded by email and praised our reporting, saying, "I strongly support your educational work and wish you much success. The more we understand, the more we are willing to do the right thing!"
Ms. Maathai founded the NGO "The Green Belt Movement" in 1977 to promote the planting of trees in Kenya and in other countries in Africa. She has also championed use of the Japanese word "mottainai" in her environmental work, making it a catchphrase which can be roughly translated as "it is wasteful when a thing's value is not made full use of." (Toshiko Bajo, Staff Writer)
Current soil issues |
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In regard to the earth's soil, deforestation and desertification are important concerns. We spoke with Research Coordinator Haruo Sawada, 55, of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute who has conducted research in this field for about 30 years.
Deforestation and desertification have drawn the world's attention since the 1970s. According to FAO, 12.9million hectare of the earth's forests are destroyed every year, in regions such as South America and Africa. Although some areas subject to deforestation have been recovered through replanting, 7.3 million hectare are still lost each year, a total equivalent to 0.6% of all the forested land in the world. "At this rate,"h observed Mr. Sawada, "the earth's forests will disappear in little more than a hundred years. We must prevent such a tragic outcome."
The primary causes behind the decline of forests are slash-and-burn farming, illegal deforestation, and forest fires. As the number of trees dwindles, the soil becomes looser and this triggers more frequent landslides. It also impacts the soil's ability to store water, which contributes to desertification.
Desertification has claimed over 3.5 billion hectares in China, Africa, and other regions. The dry conditions of these areas have done great damage to the productivity of the agricultural industry.
Another cause of desertification is "overgrazing" by livestock, when animals are permitted to graze excessively in one area. As a result of this drier land, plants have difficulty growing back.
Other concerns of desertification involve sand, mixed with pollutants, that may blow to neighboring nations as well as animals, deprived of their habitats and food supply, that could face extinction.
Deforestation and desertification occur mainly in developing countries, but it is difficult for these countries to cope with the problems by themselves. Technical support and financial assistance from developed nations are needed.
Since 2002, Japan has been working with other governments in Asia, such as Indonesia, in"Asia Forest Partnership." The goal of this collaborative effort is to prevent illegal deforestation and forest fires as well as restore areas that have suffered damage.
Mr. Sawada told us that we can contribute to the preservation of forests by valuing products made from wood, such as our school notebooks. (Masanori Mikoshi, 14)
Bring your own chopsticks |
(Fukuyama, Japan) |
A citizen's group in Fukuyama, a city in Hiroshima prefecture, is trying to encourage people to carry their own chopsticks when they eat out at restaurants. The aim of this activity is to reduce the number of disposable chopsticks used by restaurants and thus help conserve trees. The group calls on restaurants to take part and offer their customers a discount on the price of their meals or a free beverage if they bring their own chopsticks. We interviewed a leader of the group, Mayumi Ochiai, 55. Since June 2007, members of the group have paid visits to restaurants and encouraged them to participate. Information about the restaurants taking part in the program then appears in a free magazine that the group publishes quarterly. So far, 40 restaurants have become involved. "Before, the staff at many restaurants looked at me strangely when I used my own chopsticks," said Ms. Ochiai. "But now carrying your own chopsticks seems to be welcomed." She believes their activity has increased public awareness of this practice in the area and that more people are using their own chopsticks when they eat out. I feel this activity is friendly to the environment and reminds us to value the life around us. (Aoi Otomo, 13)
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Exchanging books at school |
(Oregon, USA) |
Forest Ridge Elementary School in the U.S. state of Oregon runs a program called "Book Exchange" in which students can continually exchange books after reading them. Laurie Aguirre, in charge of environmental education at the school, told us more about this system. Students can bring books from home that they have already read and exchange them for other books at the recycling center at the school. Ms. Aguirre points out that the program not only promotes the idea of recycling, it encourages reading. The recycling center offers services to the local community, too, such as repairing broken items the residents bring in and maintaining a list of second-hand organizations in the area. (Minako Iwata, 14) |
Tableware made from starch |
(Hawaii, USA) |
We also learned of an interesting activity taking place at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since last year, they have used cups and dishes made from the starch of potatoes and corn in their cafeteria. Most of this tableware comes from local companies. Although some of these products cost more than dishes made of paper or plastic and they aren't heat-resistant to the same degree, these products are more eco-friendly when burned and decompose more quickly into the soil when buried. Punahou School is ecologically advanced and, in fact, the junior high school won a national award as an eco-friendly building in 2003. At the beginning of 2007, they set a number of new goals and called on the school community to work together towards these targets. One goal, for example, is to reduce disposable waste and energy consumption by half by the year 2016. A student leader at the school, Nikki Kumura, 17, said, "I'm very happy that my school is making these efforts toward sustainability. I hope other schools take up the same kind of activities." (Taishi Kobayashi, 15) |
Buying and planting trees |
(The Republic of Malta) |
We also exchanged email with the school Margaret Mortimer Girls' Junior Lyceum, which is involved in planting trees in the national park in The Republic of Malta, located in the Mediterranean Sea south of Italy. At this school, 210 pupils have joined, since 2006, a tree-planting movement called "Tree for You" that the government has initiated. Classes collect donations to purchase rubber trees at a cost of 15 Euro (about 2500 yen) per tree. They then plant these trees themselves in the national park. Responding to an appeal from an NGO at the end of November 2007, the children joined students of other schools in planting about 1500 saplings. Four students shared their thoughts with us, including Amy Rizzo, 12, who said, "It's important to stop the impact of air pollution. I'm happy we can help do something good for the environment." (Minako Iwata,14) |
Support for the rain forest |
(Amazon River basin) |
In Tokyo, there is an organization that strives to provide support to those whose lives are threatened by deforestation. This NGO, the Rainforest Foundation Japan (RFJ), has been involved in assisting local people in the Amazon River basin for about 20 years. In the Amazon area, about 2.5 million hectare of forest is cut down each year. Based on data from FAO, this means that approximately 20% of the world's deforestation is taking place in the Amazon. Lately, in cultivating fields to produce soybeans and corn for bioethanol, which has attracted attention as an eco-friendly fuel, forests are being cut down. The leader of the RFJ told us, "gPeople should be aware that our lifestyle in Japan contributes to this deforestation." (Kotaro Tsuchida, 14) |
Our ideas for the environment
Today's issue of Peace Seeds concludes our special three-part series of environmental topics. These topics forced us to reflect on the link between our lives and such concerns as water pollution, air pollution, and deforestation. The junior writers shared our impressions and have formulated "Our Eco Campaign."
(1) Join the movement to carry "eco items"
Like the movement to carry your own chopsticks, it might be a good idea to carry your own cup, too. If you carry your own cup, you could use it at coffee shops to drink coffee or tea. Taking along a handkerchief to avoid using disposable paper towels in public restrooms is another possibility. And if you have a nice book cover of your own, bookstores won't need to add paper covers to the new books you buy.
(2) Promote "geco interaction" in your local area
"Car pooling" with others, where you commute together in the same car, can save gasoline and reduce auto emissions. Another idea is exchanging children's articles with friends--clothes, toys, and books--to reduce waste and promote close ties in the community.
(3) Make an "eco point card" for your family
Set goals in your family in regard to limiting contaminants and waste through such practices as controlling the use of detergents, shampoo, and tissues and regulating the temperature setting on air conditioners. If you attain the goal, you can receive points. These points could then be used to negotiate a raise in your allowance or another desired prize. This sort of system might be helpful for both the environment and the family budget as well as fun for family members.
(4) Share your "eco awareness"
By giving "eco gifts," such as a set of portable chopsticks or an environmental-friendly bag, you can share your "eco awareness" with the people in your life. And instead of turning on your lights at night, you might enjoy a different atmosphere at home by lighting candles.
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Finally, we discussed how our awareness of environmental issues has changed. Low interest in environmental issues / Families should try to save More effort at school / Strong leadership is needed |
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What did you learn through your reporting on environmental issues? Iwata Before, I wasn't aware that I was causing any damage to the environment, but my research on deforestation made me realize that trees are cut down to grow soybeans. I was shocked that our daily lives indirectly influence deforestation. Otomo I think Japan, like Germany, should have a system of recycling plastic bottles. Sakata I found out that in Japan, too, the effect of air pollution is becoming apparent. Before this research, I wrote an essay about environmental issues that won a prize in a contest and had the opportunity to visit Germany and see the sophisticated environmental measures in that country. Compared to Germany, the Japanese have a low interest in environmental concerns and that's a key problem, I think.
Has your attitude toward the environment changed? Okada I used to leave the water running when I was brushing my teeth, but now I turn off the tap. And when I buy bread at school, I ask them not to put it in a plastic bag. Matsuda My whole family is trying harder to save energy, such as turning off light switches. As one of our readers mentioned to us, being "stingy" is not necessarily bad as this sort of attitude can be friendly to the environment and to the family budget. Also, choosing vegetables in season, not vegetables that are grown year-round using energy resources, can contribute to a more ecological life. Sakata Yes, and imported food requires fuel to transport it by ship or plane. Matsuda think it's important to eat local food instead of importing it from a faraway place. I hadn't really thought about this before, but it saves energy, doesn't it?
What other issues related to the environment do you think are important today? Mikoshi think schools have to show a greater school-wide effort. Otomo When I was in elementary school, we picked up litter in the neighborhood and listened to presentations about global warming. I think schools should be involved in more of these types of activities. Okada At the national level, I heard that Japan will buy carbon dioxide emission credits from other countries. But I think Japan should try harder to reduce its own emissions, since it has this capability. The entire population of Japan, including politicians and bureaucrats, needs to raise its awareness of environmental issues. |
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