|
|
|
The green alert!
I think I shall never see,
A poem as lovely as a tree
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree!
—Joyce Kilmer
Trees have been associated with human beings since the very beginning. Adam and Eve lived in a garden but were forbidden to approach a specific tree for fear of expulsion from their heavenly abode. However, they were mislead by Satan and were ejected from paradise to earth where their progeny continues to abuse not one but millions of trees.
Trees, apart from the embellishment of the landscape, play an important role in the agricultural and industrial development and stability of a country. Today, although digital technology has engulfed the entire globe, man is dependent on trees for many of his needs.
Known as the lungs of nature, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen, thus this procedure acts as a natural mechanism of air filtration and reduce noise pollution. Presence of trees increases the amount of annual rainfall in an area and adds to the fertility of the soil. Trees also act as a barrier during windstorms, reducing their speed and intensity as a result of which the destruction is considerably less. Specially, the fields, in areas where strong winds blow, are lined with trees for the protection of crops.
The useful products obtained from trees are fruits, spices, medicinal and aromatic herbs, gum, etc. and those obtained from wood pulp include rubber, turpentine, paper, hardboard, tissue paper, quinine, ply wood, plastic polymers, paints and different types of oils. Wood is also extensively used in furniture-making, construction and fuel.
According to a global standard set by environmentalists, an average 25 per cent area of a country should be covered with trees but unfortunately in Pakistan, the average is only 4.5 per cent.
There was a time when trees were abundant in the world but man, for varied purposes, started cutting them ruthlessly without paying any heed towards their re-plantation. Consequently, fertile, lush green land was turned into barren, desolate wilderness. Similar is the case with our country where a great green massacre took place revealing dry mountains, sandy plains and rocky cliffs. Water washed away the land and rivers changed their course causing soil erosion and increasing infertility of the soil.
Our poor, helpless planet is constantly under some alert or the other: population explosion, nuclear proliferation, ozone layer depletion and now, deforestation alert! The need of the hour is to accelerate the pace of re-plantation of trees and to create more awareness among the masses regarding the significance of trees. If deforestation continues at the same pace, it would not be difficult to envisage Pakistan as one of the largest deserts of the world soon.
|
|
|
|
