Global Warming, Climate Change, Hunger, Poverty and Rural Migration - some of the biggest challenges facing us, the human race, today.
Mother Earth is heating up, global warming is accelerating and climate change is a reality.
None of us want to or are ready to face and accept this. And in this brave new world where technological advances are reported every few hours, the human race is still battling two challenges which shame even the most hard hearted amongst us - hunger and poverty.
While a billion of us enjoy the luxuries and comforts that are an integral and accepted part of modern urban life, it pains all of us that a billion of our fellow human beings will sleep hungry tonight!.
Please see a two minute video on how you can help in the fight against
Global Warming, Climate Change, Hunger, Poverty and Rural Migration.
What causes global warming?
Global Warming is caused mainly by:
Natural Causes Natural causes are causes created by nature. One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and Siberian wetlands. Another natural cause is that the earth goes through a cycle of climate change. This climate change usually lasts about 40,000 years.
Man-made Causes Man-made causes probably do the most damage. There are many man-made causes. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution. Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter such as coal or oil. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas called CO2.
All of us use electricity and appliances, travel and are responsible for emitting CO2 and have a carbon footprint. A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total amounts of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person."
To calculate your carbon footprint click here.
How is global warming connected to hunger and poverty?
Hunger may become the defining human tragedy of the century as the climate changes and hundreds of millions of farmers already struggling to grow enough food are forced to adapt to drought and different rainfall patterns. According to Oxfam, the poor will face more hunger as climate change more often leads to crop failures.
"Climate change's most savage impact on humanity in the near future is likely to be in the increase in hunger … the countries with existing problems in feeding their people are those most at risk from climate change," the report warns. "Millions of farmers will have to give up traditional crops as they experience changes in the seasons and rainfall patterns that they and their ancestors have depended on.
What role is Sustainable Green Initiative playing in all of this?
Welcome to Sustainable Green Initiative: SGI works with the twin objectives of combating climate change caused by the billion of us in urban areas as well as helping the billion who sleep hungry, have the assurance of two daily meals!
One of the most tried and tested -- and promising -- method to combat climate change is a simple one: plant trees. Planting trees takes care of a host of issues -- from pollution abatement to creating sustainable livelihoods.
How will my planting trees help? Why should I plant a tree?
The
simplest way to combat climate change is to plant trees: Trees breathe in
Carbon Di Oxide and through the process of photo-synthesis create food for
themselves and breathe out Oxygen. Carbon Di Oxide is one of the
main causes of global warming. CO2 and other Green House Gases blanket the earth's
atmosphere and trap heat. This leads to
warming of the earth's atmosphere as the trapped heat is prevented from
escaping.
Planting
and nurturing a tree helps reduce global warming as trees absorb CO2 and
release oxygen. A mature tree sequesters up to a ton of Carbon in its life
time. It also gives out enough oxygen required by two human beings.
Planting
a tree can be one of the most satisfying activities of our lives. Nurturing a
tree we have planted and watching it grow and bear fruit is an extremely
rewarding experience. Apart from this, here are a few more reasons to help you
start planting:
- As a gift: Gifting a tree to a friend, a colleague, a dear one can be a very unique experience.
- In memory of a loved one..
- To mitigate our individual carbon footprint.
- As part of our corporate social responsibility.
Sustainable
Green Initiative plants fruit trees on fallow/ community lands and on lands
owned by marginal and Bpl farmers. We work with self help groups and NGOs
who help us identify right beneficiaries who can continue the process of
planting and nurturing trees. (See our methodology).
At
Sustainable Green Initiative, we plant trees to help the fight against climate
change and also hunger, poverty and rural migration. By planting a tree
through us, you help in doing your bit to mitigate your carbon footprint and
carry on the fight against hunger, poverty and climate change.
or Deposit cheque/ cash or transfer funds to
Sustainable Green Initiative
Axis Bank
Current A/c 9130*2001*163*2543
BD Block Salt Lake Branch, Kolkata
IFSC Code UTIB 0000025
