Trees secure kids' lives

The 31st National Tree Planting Day should be a solemn reminder to us not to weaken our battle to save the environment despite the crisis on the economic front. Increasing unemployment, rising number of bankruptcies and declining consumer confidence may paint a gloomy picture of the economy, but the environmental crisis runs even deeper.

Environmental disasters such as soil erosion, desertification, floods, droughts, acid rain, and water, air and soil pollution have become a greater threat to our lives than what we had feared. And the blame for all this rests directly or indirectly on greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. It's true that the economic crisis is serious enough to threaten individuals, companies and governments, but the impact of environmental degradation would be more long lasting, for it could ruin not only our lives, but also that of the coming generations.

People's health, in general, has suffered because of environmental degradation. To make matters worse, the vanishing greenery has made our lives more stressful and less pleasant. There are fewer green spots where we can take a leisurely stroll, breathe fresh air, and where our children can play with gay abandon.