The forest cover on our planet Earth has been rapidly depleting over the past few years as a result of increased use of wood, paper and paper products in our lives. If we know how to save a tree we can take steps to reduce our carbon footprint and thus reduce the effects of global warming on our planet, which have been caused due to deforestation. Afforestation is beneficial to our planet’s climate as it is a well known fact that trees take up carbon from the atmosphere and increase cloud formation, which in turn cools the planet.
Before we look at the different steps we need to take to save tress, we should first know why it is so important to save trees. Here are a few reasons:
- A single mature tree produces enough oxygen that is required by 10 adults for a period of one year.
- Trees provide shade and cool and thus reduce the need for fans, coolers and ACs in summer and provide protection from strong winds in winter.
- Trees also help in cleaning the air of dust particles, reduce the heat and absorb harmful pollutants in the air such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
- Trees are also effective in fighting soil erosion, conserving rainwater and reducing sediment deposits and water runoff after storms.
- People living in areas with heavy green cover are known to suffer from fewer respiratory problems.
- Trees act as natural sound barriers and muffle urban sounds caused due to vehicular traffic and other noise in crowded areas such as railway stations, bus stations, markets etc.
Now, we shall look at the various measures that need to be taken to save trees on our planet. Follow these simple tips listed below:
- Reduce the consumption of products made from trees such as paper and paper products at your home and also in schools, colleges and offices.
- Provide alternate fuel options in rural areas for cooking, such as biogas, for reducing deforestation.
- Recycle smartly by categorizing your garbage and putting paper and cardboard rubbish in a separate dustbin for recycling later.
- Borrow books and magazines from your local library instead of buying new ones.
- At your workplace, try to minimize the use of paper by printing only those documents that are absolutely necessary. Even then ensure that you print both sides of the paper.
- As far as possible, use e-mails for communicating with your colleagues, seniors and also with your clients.
- Reuse paper bags, envelopes and take torn bank receipts or shopping receipts, which you no longer require, for recycling.
- Use recycled paper in the form of notebooks or diaries as far as possible.
- Opt for online payment of all your electricity, water, telephone and other bills. It not only saves paper, but also saves time that you would have otherwise spent in standing in a queue.
- You can also ask your bank not to post account statements to your home; you can check them online too.
- Schools and colleges can also offer online admission of students instead of paper forms for admissions and entrance examinations.
- The mode of examinations can also be changed to computer exams, which would help save a lot of paper, which in turn saves trees.
- Create awareness among people about the advantages of planting more trees and saving the existing ones and educate them about the importance of trees for our survival on this planet.
Always remember that it only takes one second to ruin and waste a sheet of paper, but it takes almost a decade for a tree to grow fully. Therefore, you need to be aware of the consequences of your actions and take initiative to save trees.
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