BEADMAIL No. 6
Retail Price: $80
Photo Credit: Canh Dien
For the first time in history, in the year 2009, more people on Earth lived in urban spaces than in rural areas. Scientists hoped that as more people moved to the city, the stress on forested lands would decrease, but, sadly, the opposite proved true.
With fewer people farming the land, agriculture became more mechanized. Urban people began to consume and demand more products requiring the clearing of more forests and so on.
Today, forests cover 31% of Earth's land, but we cut down an average of 2,400 trees every minute, and we destroy 18 million hectares of forest lands -- an area the size of Belgium -- every year.
In turn, we see soil erosion, water loss, habitat loss, animal extinction, especially those necessary to pollinate our crops, and an increase in climate change, excessive heat, and human diseases.
But there is hope. Many parts of the world, especially East Asian countries, are vigorously increasing their forested lands. They call it "rewilding" or returning degraded ecosystems to a wilder, healthier state.
Based on these trends, studies project that global forestation will increase by 10% -- an area the size of India -- by 2050.
Our urban expansion is indeed gobbling up our forests at an alarming rate, yet Earth-loving warriors are fighting to reforest and free our planet through rewilding.
A pretty good metaphor for our personal lives, when the pressures of work, technology, and modern urban life threaten to overwhelm you, it's time to practice a little rewilding ourselves.
Freeing your wild side can have beautiful results!
GOTM No. 1
Retail Price: $70
