Planting trees is an essential part of taking care of our environment. We burn fossil fuels such as coal to generate electricity and keep warm, but these fuels absorb carbon dioxide during the millions of years it takes for them to evolve from decomposing natural materials. This environmentally harmful carbon dioxide is then released into the atmosphere during the combustion process.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, so planting trees is an active way of negating the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels.
Not only can trees help to restore a cleaner environment, but wood can also be used as an environmentally friendly fuel. Wood is referred to as carbon neutral because the amount of carbon dioxide it releases during the combustion process is only equal to the amount the tree has absorbed during its lifetime. Therefore it can be said that burning wood is kinder to the environment than any other form of domestic fuel.
To mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 2012 Diamond Jubilee, The Woodland Trust has launched the Jubilee Woods project to create hundreds of Jubilee and Diamond Woods across the country. Trust patron, HRH the Princess Royal, will mark the occasion by planting a tree at the new flagship Diamond Wood in the National Forest of Leicestershire whilst the Trust is giving away 18,500 free tree packs to schools and communities containing 750,000 trees, intended to create some 1800 acres of woodland.
Get involved with this exciting community event and help to build a better tomorrow, visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
