Washington, Europe Brief News – On Earth Day, US president Joe Biden has pledged to plant 1.2 billion trees and compile an inventory of old-growth across the country.
The plan aims to strengthen the protection of the country’s old-growth forests in a push to combat the climate crisis that has worsened wildfires and other environmental disasters.
The plan would also create the first inventory of old-growth forests on federal lands. It also calls for expanding reforestation efforts and forging partnerships to grow forests outside of US government-owned lands.
“Our forests are our planet’s lungs. They literally are recycling and cycling CO2 out of the atmosphere; that’s what they do,” Biden said during a speech in Seattle on the US west coast.
Biden announced a plan to plant 1.2 billion trees, a move would “begin the vital work of reforesting in America”.
“It makes sense, and it also makes a big difference, including in our cities, and on our city streets,” Biden said of the tree-planting scheme.
The past year has seen an uptick in environmental disasters across the United States, including deadly heatwaves, wildfires and hurricanes.
Experts have said climate change has caused the annual US wildfire season to begin earlier and burn hotter. Last summer, blazes destroyed entire communities across California and killed thousands of giant Sequoia trees.
Despite Biden’s emphasis on the environment, climate activists have criticised the US president for not combatting the crisis more aggressively.
