N 47  …… Continuation of Environmental Awareness

I like this programme. There are lots of spare lands in our country. The government should impose such law on the citizens. To plant one tree and take care that it grow well in one’s life. To plant them anywhere , where it is convenient, and not only in their compound. But if so there will be some difficulties for people who live in big cities. But then most people who are living in big cities have their own hometown. They can plant their trees in their own hometown.

    

  Imagining that it will be good if the government impose such law, I in advance planted 4 trees for 4 members of my family, in a school compound near our house in Taunggyi after obtaining permission from the headmistress. Anyway they have some spare land and  are in need of trees which the children had been planting last rainy season but were unsuccessful because there were no fencing. I hope my trees grow well.

    

  One thing I want to add is about the cause of cutting trees. The trees around our town are not part of a big forest , so they  can not  be used for  commercial purposes.  But only  local people cut and  who uses them for firewood. And sometimes fire break out on the mountain devouring patches of the remaining forest.

    

  I heard someone suggest that the government should not sell the country’s gas to neighbouring countries. Instead they should build gas factories and produce gas tanks and let the people use for cooking. This way will save many of our trees and also promote our standard of living.

     

  If we think about the future of our country there are many things to do. Most of them can be done only by the government. But people, individually or by forming groups or organizations can also be of  much help.

     

So I welcome all activities that aim for the good of the country. I welcome the Shan Cherry tree planting group, the foremost Greenland group and all groups involving in all charity and welfare activities.  

 

N46     Environmental Awareness

There is a saying in Myanmar. That is “ One who looks sees “ meaning if we lookwe see and if we turn a blind eye we will not see anything. About our environment some are aware about it and are concerned and worry and are doing something to save it while other people , mostly due to ignorance do not see , do not put them in mind and are even destroying it.

   The earth itself is full of troubles. Beside man made troubles  such as conflicts and wars and many other things it is also  facing troubles concerning the environment. There are natural disasters, pollution of all kinds, climate changes, and  deforestations , to mention a few.   

   The governments are doing as much as they can within their power. People who have awareness are also doing something to save their environment. I think there have been some alertness in Taunggyi about trees lately. I myself did a kind of participation by writing an article in the Ashe Yoma journal about the disappearance of cherry trees in Taunggyi referring to Ellen Thorp’s book “ Quiet Skies on Salween.`”Not long ago I saw an article  written by Shi Ingyin about deforestation in Taunggyi. And I heard about a group called Shan Cherry was also formed and that they had started planting trees on the mountain range on the east of Taunggyi.

  Our country is one of the countries that has deforested most of its wooded areas due to overlogging of trees beyond sustainable yield . But I think most of the proceeds do not go into the Government’s budget. Most of our lands were depleted of its trees and forests and it is only the people who will have to bear its consequences.

    The government is not doing enough to replace the lost forests and trees. There are some good examples we should follow. Let us look what China is doing. In  1981 a law that requires every citizen over the age of 11 plant at least one tree a year was  enforced.  As a result China currently has the highest afforestation rate of any country or region in the world with 47000 sq kl of afforestation in 2008.

To be continued……..