China’s multi-decade long effort to plant a ring of trees around the Taklaman Desert has protected the nation’s grasslands and agriculture from the desert’s sand. This giant ring of trees has turned previously unproductive land into a carbon sink that draws CO2 out of the atmosphere. Some isolated research has demonstrated that humans can prevent the worst effects of a rise in average global temperatures by planting trees to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere. 

The environment has been in a slow decline as the industrial and green revolutions continue to put chemicals in our water and greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. Many companies such as factories and big business industries have contributed to the negative effects of global warming. However, there are institutions and organizations that have used their time to work on the improvement of the environment and slowing down climate change.

In countries such as China that are large industrial exporters worldwide, organizations that put effort into working on the environment rather than pushing for economic growth are what the country needs to stay balanced. This supports less pollution and a greater total ecology. If other countries implemented practices like China’s efforts to increase CO2 absorption, we could as a planet turn around what high carbon releases have done to the atmosphere, increasing air quality and health of the earth. 

However, based on many government regulations, the economy comes first. Many governmental systems are based on improving the economy and generating wealth for the country. So, is focusing on environmental needs easier said than done, or can people who care come together and create a difference for the planet?