Earth Day 2015 Declaration To Double Native Forests
Earth Day 2015 Declaration To Double Native Forests
Why this petition matters
If we are to live in harmony with the planet and each other we need the courage to act on a shared vision of a better world. And we need to act NOW.
We, the undersigned, put forth these collective thoughts and invite others to share their visions.
- We know forests are a fundamental expression of the natural world and are key to supporting all life on Earth.
- We have witnessed how the destruction of the world's forests degrade the quality of human life and undermine the prospects for productive and vibrant economies.
- We know that carbon-rich natural habitats are critical to the restoration of natural climatic patterns.
- We believe we must reverse the frightening concentration of greenhouse gasses – now at 400 PPM -- and get back to the pre-industrial revolution levels of 280 PPM
- We believe that this dramatic mathematical U-turn alone is our only hope of preventing the blue sky from turning into a toxic furnace.
We, the undersigned call for:
- A halt to all deforestation
- A doubling of the native forest canopy in less than two decades.
Furthermore, we call for this with the intent to:
- Increase meaningful employment in planting native trees, restoring natural habitats, and closing unneeded roads.
- Help return the natural balance of greenhouse gasses to pre-industrial revolution levels and foster a healthy society.
- Maintain natural functions to purify the air and water and support the glorious web of life.
Finally, we call upon all people – our communities and our business and political leaders to work together to achieve this goal.
Such a courageous step could help lead us to a future no longer driven by overconsumption of natural resources, unnecessarily environmentally damaging technologies, overpopulation, and political-economies that foster aggregate consumption.
When heading for the edge of a cliff, the solution may be as simple as turning around and going in a fundamentally different direction. Native forest protection and restoration is key to this sensible U-turn. A shift to a better world is within our grasp, but we must collectively envision and enact it.
This is the great U-turn we seek.
Supported by:
- Randy Hayes Executive Director, Foundation Earth
- Eric Dinerstein Director, Biodiversity & Wildlife Solutions RESOLVE