James Cameron, Environmental Group To Plant One Million Trees, Half In Haiti

WASHINGTON — Earth Day Network is enlisting groups in 15 countries to plant 1 million trees this year with "Avatar" movie director James Cameron and Twentieth Century Fox.

The Washington-based group is announcing its plans Sunday. Cameron planted the first of 1 million trees in April in Brazil.

In the U.S., trees will be planted in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles to improve air quality and urban animal habitats.

Tree plantings in such places as Mexico, Canada and Spain will be focused on reforestation of depleted areas.

Other efforts tie in with both development and environmental improvements. In Haiti, the U.S.-based Trees for the Future will work with farmers to plant about 500,000 fruit trees and other native species to provide economic benefits. That makes Haiti one of the largest sites.

Comments

[gogogadget]

05:16 PM on 08/17/2010

The reason I ask is because no way the fruit isn't pilfered by the hooligans.

[gogogadget]

05:15 PM on 08/17/2010

Can they eat trees?

[JennaS]

01:23 PM on 08/17/2010

Awesome! Haiti is so deforested and they really need help! Would love to be a part of that mission!

[PresidentRobertBooth]

01:18 PM on 08/16/2010

Kudos Jim


You da best!

[ThisCanadian]

01:06 PM on 08/16/2010

Excellent plan, especially for Haiti. Good on James Cameron.

[ReadItNWeap]

12:20 PM on 08/16/2010

I like the idea of planting trees in California, as long as you can smoke them.

[jfrisco11]

11:24 AM on 08/16/2010

I'm so happy to read this news, it's good start ....... if only we care more to our earth

[a human being]

11:12 AM on 08/16/2010

Haiti is a good place to start with, but something should be done to improve Haitians quality of life (promote the use of natural gas by making it available and cheaper than charcoal), so that these trees will not be cut and used as charcoal in kitchens.
The list of the countries should include those located on both sides of the Sahara desert in Africa (south and north), in a way to build a belt that can reduce the desertification of theses area, with all the consequences that come with (population displacement, illegal immigration, etc. )

[an]

06:04 PM on 08/18/2010

yeah that's a great idea about the sahara. definitely the more that the desert grows, the greater the social unrest in that area.

[offred]

11:09 AM on 08/16/2010

Can some NGO that provides low-cost solar ovens in Africa set up a website where individuals could buy a solar oven to be sent over to Haiti?

I'd donate one.

[classicalgeek]

11:13 AM on 08/16/2010

www.gbgm-umc.org/solarovenshaiti

[offred]

11:25 AM on 08/16/2010

Thanks!

[offred]

11:13 AM on 08/16/2010

Here are some sources I found at Charity guide.

[ http://charityguide.org/volunteer/fewhours/solar-ovens.htm ]

Nonprofit organizations, such as the Solar Oven Society or Solar Household Energy, or from solar cooking catalogs or Global Sun Ovens that provide solar ovens to developing countries.


I'll go to their websites and ask them to set up donation sites for Haiti.

[classicalgeek]

05:54 PM on 08/16/2010

This is good, because the average Haitian family spends 2/3s of its daily income on buying charcoal for cooking. Not only will the trees be saved, but Haitians will be able to spend money on other necessities.

[KaosnLA]

11:08 AM on 08/16/2010

Cause' the inner cities and poor communities of America don't need trees or attention.

[an]

06:06 PM on 08/18/2010

the article says they'll be planting trees in nyc, san francisco, and la.

[Redwood Eagle]

11:07 AM on 08/16/2010

I think I have another candidate for "Honorary Druid" (http://mithrilstar.org/honorary.htm).

[offred]

10:45 AM on 08/16/2010

Mr. Cameron, bravo.

I have a further suggestion. Commenters here are sure the trees will end up as firewood. In the short term, it can be made a crime to cut down a tree. How about finding an equally generous philanthropist (Sir Richard Branson, perhaps) to help import low-cost charcoal to tide Haitians over until a solar- and wind-based economy can be constructed?

Haiti would be the perfect case study for instituting solar power communities to study. It would also bring scientific and industrial tourism, which would be a boon to the economy and provide jobs.

[offred]

11:05 AM on 08/16/2010

Some NGOs provide low-cost solar ovens in Africa, where cooking fuel is a concern also. Maybe, with the help of some philanthropists, some of those NGOs can bring solar ovens to Haiti.

Haiti would be the ideal "biosphere" for constructing a model solar- and wind-powered economy.

[Richard Aron]

10:42 AM on 08/16/2010

How about doing the same for third world countries to improve their environments.

[offred]

10:49 AM on 08/16/2010

How about some wealthy philanthropists cooperating to devise wind- and solar-powered communities (communities in a box, to borrow a phrase) in these third-world countries to serve as examples for the future for the fossil-fuel addicted First and Second Worlds?

[diverssant]

10:39 AM on 08/16/2010

Better make sure they are fireproof. The Haitians burned all their trees for fuel, and without some other type of intervention the same will happen again...

[offred]

10:51 AM on 08/16/2010

It can be made a crime to cut down these trees. Foreign aid and NGOs and philanthropists can provide low-cost fuel as an alternative, while Haiti could be set up as a wind- and solar-powered economy that could become an example for the fossil-fuel worshipping world.

[diverssant]

11:47 AM on 08/16/2010

That's a great idea, making it a crime! Because Haitians are nothing if not law abiding, they are known as the Germans of the Caribbean in fact...

[wnt3r]

10:26 AM on 08/16/2010

Tree hugger! no wonder conservatives hate avatar. :)