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The Reason: To Fight Global Warming
We are starting to feel the effects of global warming now. From droughts in the US to floods in Bangladesh. We can fight global warming, but we need to act now. Forests fight global warming in three ways:
1. by absorbing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide
- An average tree inhales 26 lbs of carbon dioxide per year and exhales enough Oxygen for a family of four for a year
2. reflecting solar radiation back into space
- Deciduous trees reflect more solar radiation than coniferous trees
3. by evaporating enough water to the atmosphere to increase cloudiness; clouds reflect incoming solar radiation straight back out into space
- Evaporation of water cools the planet like an air conditioner
- Deciduous trees reflect more solar radiation than coniferous trees.
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The Way: How You Start A Forest
It all starts with you planting a tree for two friends. Each friend can inspire two more friends by planting a tree for them. The total at this point is 6 trees. As each friend inspires the next two friends, the numbers of trees grows. By the 5th set of friends, a forest of 96 trees are planted. A forest of 96 trees will help cool the planet by reflecting solar radiation and absorbing 2,496 pounds of carbon dioxide.
In addition to planting a tree for the next two friends. Your friends can display their trees on their own page on mokugift or on popular sites such as: facebook, MySpace, Hi5, Bebo, Friendster, Tagged, Orkut, Live Spaces, iGoogle, Blogger, Vox, LiveJournal, Typepad, Xanga, BlackPlanet, MiGente, myYearbook, Piczo, Multiply, Pageflakes, Netvibes, Wordpress, and Freewebs.
Displaying your mokugift tree on these sites spreads the awareness that everyone can start a forest. It is a more meaningful message when it comes from a friend.
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Where are my trees planted?
Academic research by Dr Bala of Lawrence Livermore National Labratory shows that trees planted in tropical zones are the most beneficial to the fight against global warming. His study covered the effects of carbon dioxide absorption, reflection of solar radiation, and reflection of solar ration from increased cloudiness. He also accounted for the warming effect of heat held by absorbed sunlight. "Our study shows that tropical forests are very beneficial to the climate because they take up carbon and increase cloudiness, which in turn helps cool the planet," explained Dr Bala. "The further you move from the equator, though, these gains are eroded; and the team's modelling predicts that planting more trees in mid- and high-latitude locations could lead to a net warming of a few degrees by the year 2100."
Mokugift trees are planted in the following 12 tropical countries: Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burundi, Senegal, Zambia, India, Philippines, and Haiti
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Our environment knows no borders. Today we see governments from around the world realize this and are co-operating with a level of harmony and determination that we have never seen before.
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How Mokugift Trees Are Planted
Mokugift is proud to partner with two award-winning, tree-planting organizations to plant trees in twelve countries fighting deforestation and poverty: Trees For The Future (TFTF) and Sustainable Harvest International(SHI). TFTF and SHI work in communities that have seen chemical-based farming deplete their soil and poison their water sources. In some cases, their land has been effect by local mining operations that have clear-cut the forest and polluted the water table.
TFTF and SHI educate local communities about planting techniques that enrich the land and empower them to overcome poverty. As each participating family proudly graduates from these programs with healthy farming knowledge and enriched lifestyles, they inspire other families to adopt the same techniques.
No one is hired to plant the trees. Farmers apply to be part of the programs. Mokugift partners educate local communities on farming techniques while also providing resources such as seeds, materials for nurseries and irrigation equipment. Local communities and farmers plant the trees because they want to enrich their land and community in a way that they will be proud to pass on to future generations.
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Trees For The Future has won the following awards:
- Green Globe Commendation Winner, 1999
- Earth Trusteeship Award, The Earth Society, 1994
- The International Award, National Arbor Day Foundation, 1990
TFTF is rated 4 out of 4 stars by Charity Navigator (the non-profit equivlanent to Consumer Reports)
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Sustainable Harvest International has won the following awards:
- Yves Rocher Women of the Earth award, 2007
- Etown E-chievement award, 2004
This year, SHI was listed as one of the 10 Best Managed Environmental Nonprofits (2008)
"Only 10% of charities rated have received at least 3 consecutive 4-star evaluations, meaning that Sustainable Harvest International outperforms most charities in America in its efforts to operate in the most fiscally responsible way possible. This 'exceptional' designation differentiates SHI from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust." ~ Trent Stamp, President of Charity Navigator
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Both Trees For The Future and Sustainable Harvest International fully support the efforts of mokugift. Mokugift has researched both organizations and spent the time to understand their approach for reforesting and agroforestry. Mokugift fully supports both Trees For The Future and Sustainable Harvest International.
Endorsed by United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) |
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"We are honored to partner with mokugift as part of the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign. Mokugift is taking creative approaches with its online gifting service and iPhone application to help the Billion Tree Campaign achieve a target of seven billion trees. In the spirit of the Billion Tree Campaign, mokugift empowers ordinary people to be part of the solution," |
Satinder Bindra, Director, United Nation Environment Programme |
Definition of Agroforestry:
Agroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems
Definition of Reforestation:
Reforestation is the restocking of existing forests and woodlands which have been depleted, with native tree stock
Mokugift partners with TFTF and SHI to plant the following types of trees: Cocoa, Coffee, Banana, Orange, Cedar, Teak, Mahogany, Oak, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Laurel, and Leucaena.
"The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful and the ennobling in man." ~ J. Sterling Morton
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