General / Off-Topic #Team tree (AKA the biggest collab in youtube history!)

[Remus]

Allow me to put a bit of context on this.

A few days ago, a rather isolated youtuber had a crazy idea to celebrate his 20 millionth subscriber. The youtuber in question is Mr Beast. He challenged himself to plant 20 million trees before the end of the year, each tree representing 1 subscriber.

What started as half a joke though, has gained momentum, and quite literally taken root.

The challenge has now widespread to the whole youtube, and one might say the whole internet.

A rather unknown and isolated youtuber has now been joined by absolute powerhouses of the platform to help him achieve this goal.

Why am I talking about this? Because even if I've grown a bit skeptical on fundraising campaigns, this one seem to have gained enough momentum to actually succeed. And its goal will help tackle a problem that does concern us all. For as little effect this enterprise might have on the big scale of things, it at least has the merit to propose a rather simple solution. And helps widespread an important message. That climate change does concern us all.

So I do my part by spreading the word, make everyone know that they can if the want be part of this by donating a single dollar. Each dollar raised will help to plant a tree. Its simple math, 1 = 1.

This is the list, non exhaustive of the channels I know that joined this movement.

-MrBeast (the one that started it all)
-Game Theory
-Pewdipey
-Jackscepticeye
-Infographics show
-Linus Tech Tips
-How to basic
-TED Ed
-Smarter every day.
-The Quartering

And many, many, many more.

YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

I would love to see Frontier join too, allas, brain trees don't seem to count!

You may now be part of this, by donating to :

Help Us Plant 24 Million Trees - Join #TeamTrees

The official site of #TeamTrees. One dollar plants a tree...

www.teamtrees.org

Or to the link provided by your favorite youtuber, if he participated that is.

You can give as little as 1 dollar, or more if you feel generous! ( since I'm giving Euros, I'm technically giving a bit more, but hey who cares! )
Lets make this happen people! We have only 66 days left!

 

[Shadowdancer]

On why we may not want to blindly plant trees everywhere: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6463/eaay7976 (the TL;DR is that reforestation may be a good thing, but there's something to be said for existing biomes, and it's by no means a cure-all).

Support your local peat marsh initiative.

 

[Remus]

On why we may not want to blindly plant trees everywhere: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6463/eaay7976 (the TL;DR is that reforestation may be a good thing, but there's something to be said for existing biomes, and it's by no means a cure-all).

Support your local peat marsh initiative.

Interesting read, there is one thing that botters me though.

From your article.

"Carbon-focused tree planting will exacerbate these threats, to the detriment of people who depend on grasslands to provide livestock forage, game habitat, and groundwater and surface-water recharge "

In short, "don't plant trees!!! think of the rich meat farm owners, the hunters, and where are heavy industries going to dump all its effluents..."

I mean.... For real? :/

Edit, Besides, the problem has allready been tacled, it seems that much of the reforestation will be done in Northern america and eastern Europe/Siberia.

 

[Shadowdancer]

In short, "don't plant trees!!! think of the rich meat farm owners, the hunters, and where are heavy industries going to dump all its effluents..."

That's a really naively biased way to read it.

"[G]roundwater and surface-water recharge" means areas where rainwater is allowed to seep into the ground and flow into rivers. It's not places where people get to dump raw sewage, that's stupid and civilised countries have been past that stage for at least a century with agriculture being something of a straggler when it comes to hygiene. Forests do not readily allow that seepage since they keep a lot away from the ground in the first place, and extract huge volumes of water from the ground and evaporate it back into the air limiting the recharge of aquifers.

Closed forests also aren't extremely good for biodiversity, it's the edge of a forest that's interesting. Broken-up forest areas mixed with reasonable agriculture are actually extremely attractive habitats. Those bees everyone is concerned about? Not too happy in forests. Oh, and people need to eat more deer.

Besides, the problem has allready been tacled, it seems that much of the reforestation will be done in Northern america and eastern Europe/Siberia.

... in areas that aren't otherwise attractive for economic interests, which depressingly often means undeveloped areas that are already doing fine. I have enough dumb stuff in the name of "green" within walking distance (thanks UNESCO for reinfocing that...) to look at such shenanigans with rose-tinted glasses :-/

 

[Remus]

My bad, I thought you meant:

Surface Groundwater Recharge | SSWM - Find tools for sustainable sanitation and water management!

Artificial surface groundwater recharge refers to different groundwater recharge techniques that release effluent from above the ground into the groundwater aquifer via soil percolation.

sswm.info

But the other 2 points stil stand.

I'm sorry I have trouble following you.

in areas that aren't otherwise attractive for economic interests

What the hell do you mean by that?

which depressingly often means undeveloped areas that are already doing fine

What do you mean by undeveloped? If they are undeveloped, they certainly are not doing fine?

In your article

Trees, particularly evergreen conifers, are less reflective than snow, bare ground, or grasses, and thus absorb more solar energy, which is ultimately emitted as heat

Trees, last time I checked, do not radiate heat. The only way for a tree to emit heat is when its burned.

Ecological restoration of savannas and grasslands rarely involves planting trees

I don't know about savanas and grasslands, but planting trees has done a hell of a great job at stopping desertification

From https://www.greenfacts.org/en/desertification/l-2/6-prevention-desertification.htm

6.3 What actions can reverse land degradation?

Rehabilitation and restoration approaches can help restore ecosystem services that have been lost due to desertification. Restoration aims to reestablish a previous ecosystem state and all its functions and services, while rehabilitation seeks to repair specific parts of the systems, in order to regain ecosystem productivity.


Effective restoration and rehabilitation of desertified drylands require a combination of policies and technologies and the close involvement of local communities.


Examples of actions to restore and rehabilitate ecosystems include:

• establishing seed banks,
• reintroducing selected species,
• countering erosion through terracing and other measures,
• enriching the soil with nutrients, and
• planting trees.

Policies that create incentives for rehabilitation include capacity building, capital investment, and supportive institutions.


The success of rehabilitation practices depends on the availability of human resources, sufficient funds and infrastructures, as well as on the degree of dependence on external technologies and cultural perceptions. Adequate access to these resources can lead to successful rehabilitation of some ecosystem services and also help reduce poverty. When these conditions are not met, efforts to rehabilitate fail. Restoring degraded dryland services may thus be difficult even with major policy and technology interventions. More...

 

[Demascus]

Pently of trees in my backyard thank you. Matter of fact need to cut down a few, can't see the river from my porch.

 

[Remus]

Plenty of trees in my backyard thank you. Matter of fact need to cut down a few, can't see the river from my porch.

Don't worry, no tree will be planted near your porch!

Alas, as for the former statement, unfortunately human activity has resulted in a drastic diminish of forests around the world. Just watch the amazon forest for example. So sad.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

1$ / tree seems far too expensive.

 

[Caramel Clown]

Is there a team chainsaw initiative, for balance?)

 

[Patrick_68000]

I will not give 1$ to plant a tree.

I prefer not to have a car, and eat meat only once a week.

Buying a good conscience for $1 is an insult to the nature.

 

[Remus]

I will not give 1$ to plant a tree.

I prefer not to have a car, and eat meat only once a week.

Buying a good conscience for $1 is an insult to the nature.

I'm sad that you feel that way Patrick. You misunderstand the message that they are trying to deliver.
Its not about buying oneself a conscience. Its about spreading the message, that something must be done, every little gesture counts. And we are ALL involved in climate change.
They repeat it time and again. Planting 20 million trees WONT stop climate change, but its a step in the right direction.

And if you can afford to not use your car, by all means. More power to you! I try myself to use my car a little as possible, And when I do, I always adopt a responsible attitude. (AKA turning off the engine at a read light for example), and I'm planing in buying an electric one next year.

There will be of course people that will think of this as an excuse for continuing using their BIG SUV to make 500m to the groceries, its sad, but that is how humans work.
And there lies the challenge, trying to convince those people that instead of using the car they could walk those 500 meters, not only they would help their body, they will help the planet to.

 

[Patrick_68000]

I'm sad that you feel that way Patrick. You misunderstand the message that they are trying to deliver.
Its not about buying oneself a conscience. Its about spreading the message, that something must be done, every little gesture counts. And we are ALL involved in climate change.
They repeat it time and again. Planting 20 million trees WONT stop climate change, but its a step in the right direction.

And if you can afford to not use your car, by all means. More power to you! I try myself to use my car a little as possible, And when I do, I always adopt a responsible attitude. (AKA turning off the engine at a read light for example), and I'm planing in buying an electric one next year.

There will be of course people that will think of this as an excuse for continuing using their BIG SUV to make 500m to the groceries, its sad, but that is how humans work.
And there lies the challenge, trying to convince those people that instead of using the car they could walk those 500 meters, not only they would help their body, they will help the planet to.

My post did not want to make a generality.

However they can very well ask 20 million dollars to the big oil companies, to the car manufacturers, to the agro-alimentary industries etc ...

For my part, as my carbon footprint is very low compared to the people that I see around me, I have no intention of paying to soften the damage of my stupid neighbor with his big SUV and all his excesses of overconsumption.

 

[Remus]

My post did not want to make a generality.

However they can very well ask 20 million dollars to the big oil companies, to the car manufacturers, to the agro-alimentary industries etc ...

And you really think they would pay? Be realistic! Though Elon Musk seems to be joining Team tree, so that is something!

For my part, as my carbon footprint is very low compared to the people that I see around me, I have no intention of paying to soften the damage of my stupid neighbor with his big SUV and all his excesses of overconsumption.

Nobody is asking you to pay for your neighbors misdoings, but think that its this same kind of attitude that is causing the current political lock-down.

USA won't pay, because they say its the Chinese fault.
The Chinese say its the USA's fault.
India says that they to want what China and USA have, and therefore they must pay if they want him to stop emitting CO2.
Etc...

We are ALL involved Patrick, even if your CO2 footprint is low, you still have to do something. Have you tried to talk to your neighbor about it?

You don't have to give money, if you talk to your neigbourg and convince him to reduce his carbon footprint by reducing his use of his car, you would be doing plenty!

 

[Patrick_68000]

We are ALL involved Patrick, even if your CO2 footprint is low, you still have to do something. Have you tried to talk to your neighbor about it?

You don't have to give money, if you talk to your neigbourg and convince him to reduce his carbon footprint by reducing his use of his car, you would be doing plenty!

My neighbor is an image of course.

However I do not risk asking a car owner or worse a SUV owner to reduce its use.

The car is sacred ! Even more sacred than the life itself.