Deforestation is a big problem worldwide. At the same time, climate change, caused by the increasing emission of greenhouse gases, is threatening not only nature, but also humanity. The idea that we can combat both problems at the same time - by planting trees, which store considerable amounts of CO2 when they grow - is therefore attractive.
So more and more we get the offer to offset our CO2 emissions by donating money to an organization that will plant trees in return. Many companies and governments already do that. This is gradually becoming a booming business: in Belgium alone several organizations are active that have already planted millions of trees with your support. But which trees do these organizations plant? Where do they do that? And is that a good idea? Tim Vernimmen traveled through Tanzania and South Africa for two months in search of people who plant trees, and discovered that the variety of projects is large, and their impact is not entirely positive. It therefore is recommended to find out what the organization you are supporting is planning.
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Bomen als klimaataflaten - EOS, 22 JUNI 2017 (in Dutch)
