Jessica+-+Tree+of+Life

A video I made, explaining the problem of deforestation, the necessity of trees, and the solution to the heavy deforestation these days. media type="youtube" key="oKAhk-3UgzY" Sitting down at the local park, an oak tree whispered to me, “Why do humans insist on slaughtering us?” Dumbfounded, I couldn’t respond. But the tree’s question lingered for quite some time. Tree slaughters, that’s a new way of thinking. Schools, apartments, buildings–I think of how many trees that were displaced by these colossal structures. Millions, and there’s no exaggeration. Is deforestation is something only happening faraway near the Amazon? Not at all. It’s happening everywhere..and many are blind to see it. Your own house, wherever you’re using a computer to read this blog, has displaced trees. As I look at today’s world, I see the Dr. Seuss children’s story of [|The Lorax]. We continue to develop and construct buildings, consume heavy amounts of paper products, and buy wooden furniture. Aren’t we the most civilized species of the Earth? No. We’re all reckless, logging Paul Bunyans without knowing it. I’m a Paul Bunyan at times. You know when you’re being a Paul Bunyan. There are 6 billion and more people on this planet. We’re most likely all doing //this//. Humans are being extremely ignorant when it comes to consuming. We don’t care about much, but our own luxuries. How “Yahooish”. We’re becoming some bit of a problem. We sometimes point fingers at paper companies or developers, but we are the criminals of this extensive crime against nature.

So, you ask, what kind of crime are we committing? A serious one. Lives have been taken, and we’re looking at the end of a beautiful world. As we are deforesting, ”slaughtering” the trees, the Earth’s fever is worsening. Because trees produce oxygen and remove carbon, they’re a necessity of life. They’re superheros, in a sense. So without it, oxygen levels decrease. Let’s put it this way: cut down a tree, and you’re cutting off your own oxygen. “Deforestation is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect” according to this Wikipedia article. In addition, deforestation also threatens wildlife. Because forests are dense in wildlife, many species will become endangered if their habitat is destroyed. So let’s recap in simpler words. The first murder you commit while deforesting, is of the world species. The second is your own murder. You are endangering YOUR OWN life by directly contributing to global warming by reducing the atmosphere’s oxygen supply. It is a serious crime. Reforestation and less consuming, I believe, are the solutions to this problem.

//”Today, in the People’s Republic of China, where large scale destruction of forests has occurred, the government has required that every able-bodied citizen between the ages of 11 and 60 plant three to five trees per year or do the equivalent amount of work in other forest services (no longer required today, but March 12 of every year in China is the Planting Holiday). The government claims that at least 1 billion trees have been planted in China every year since 1982.”//

So whether it be by force, or by will, reforestation is the best solution. I am not aware if Korea has an Arbor Day, but it doesn’t matter. At the rates of deforestation, we should be planting trees everyday. I realize that a population is not going to simply be willing and get up to plant a tree. So perhaps, the Republic of Korea, every country, should start passing laws making tree-planting mandatory. I plan to start fundraising, buy trees, and plant 5-10 trees a month. Does this sound too radical? It really isn’t. If Stalin can industrialize Russia of a hundred years’ time in FIVE years, this is hardly anything. Planting 5-10 trees a month is hardly anything. Even so, it will bring a positive effect. This project needs to be widespread, because deforestation is everywhere. We are a force of more than 6 billion people. If we have the power to deforest, I believe we have the power to reforest. With the willpower, we can save the Earth from its destruction.

Read more about this on my [|Blog]


 * //Because I'm waiting to join this wikispace, I will write my reflection here://**


 * 1) //**What specific purpose or "change for the better" are you hoping to accomplish with this product?** My goal with this product is to persuade people, all around the world, to realize the necessity of trees and to plant trees.//
 * 2) //**What do you think is/are the most effective detail(s) for achieving your purpose?** I think the most effective detail is the list of ways that trees help us (in my video). It is somewhat startling to find out what trees actually do for us. Even as I was researching the benefits of trees, I was pretty suprised that plants were capable of such things.//
 * 3) //**What do you think is the weakest aspect of your project?** My project's weakness is probably the lack of evidence in my video. I had support and statistics in my writing, but it was absent in the video. If I could add more, it would probably be much more effective. But if you're talking about this project as whole, the weakness is probably the means to get started. I've been brainstorming, but I'm still puzzled...whether to plant in urban areas or rural areas, how to raise money for these planting projects, how to find native trees. However, i think that will all unravel. I've been talking to a Costa Rica reforestation program, asking how to get this kind of project started. They've replied with some useful information, so I think this project will be happening soon.//
 * 4) //**What 21st century tools (yes, we're talking "web 2.0"--wikis, blogs, YouTube, etc) do you think could help you to spread your message or idea to the world? How would you picture using these to increase your power to make a difference?** Just like this, I think a wiki would be very useful in communicating this idea. I want this project to be as widespread as it can be. Starting in Korea with all the other international and local schools would be quite fun, wouldn't it? To start, students from all of the schools participating would communicate their ideas, their work, on the wiki. It would be a very good communication tool to use. On these wikis, we'd post Youtube videos of accomplishments, so that students ALL over the world can SEE what we're doing, and perhaps get motivated themselves to do the same. Just for some friendly competition, we'd have planting contests...awarding schools who plant the most trees, and forever keeping their names on this wiki.//
 * 5) //**Discuss what you see when you compare your first draft (solo), which did not require figurative language (analogies, metaphors, etc), with your second one. Be specific. Tell yourself, and us, what you want to remember the next time you write something you want to have an effect on your reader.** I know this for sure--figurative language adds DRAMA to your writing! Rather than explaining things plainly, figurative language can make it colorful and more visual. For example, in my 1st draft, I started with "Some interesting statistics:" In my 2nd draft, I started right with personification. I said, "Sitting down at the local park, an oak tree whispered to me, “Why do humans insist on slaughtering us?” " It is much more exciting to read and it definitely grabs the reader's attention. Seriously--without figurative language, writing doesn't have much power.//