Getting Back to Basics

What would the response of Americans be if someone organized a massive tree-planting initiative? In light of the recent California wildfires, the example of Macedonia, a tiny country of only two million people, could inspire similar efforts.

Macedonia has had two summers of wild fires, with thousands of acres of forests destroyed. An opera singer, Boris Trajanov, decided that something had to be done. Yesterday, “Thousands of people were bused to the planting sites , including more than 1,000 soldiers who planted some 200,000 seedlings at 14 sites.” It seems that Macedonians are waking up to the reality of climate change and the need to protect the environment.

Trajanov said “If Macedonia, a country of two million people, can plant six million trees, we can only imagine how many trees can be planted in other, bigger countries.” Yes, just imagine. There were projects like this in the U.S., back in the 80s when “environment” was the word on everybody’s lips. But, just like the enthusiasm for solar panels, recycling, and other actions that might have made a real difference if they had been continued, public interest faded and moved on.

Maybe, just maybe, it can happen again. With an environmentally conscious president in the White House, the American public could wake up and realize that we all have to participate in change if it’s going to happen.

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