Thursday, Jul 17

Welcome to Your Daily Dot where Dot will share tips, advice, and stories on how we can make our world better.

Dear Reader,

For Wangari Maathai to call her work “a little thing” makes clear that the Nobel Prize Winner and founder of the Green Belt Movement recognized that small acts can give birth to massive change. 

Yes, she planted trees. Together with others in the Green Belt Movement, she planted 51 million of them.  “When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope,” she said. She valued education, studying biology in the U.S. and eventually receiving her PhD in Africa, the first woman in East Africa to do so. 

As an active member of the National Council of Women of Kenya, she paid attention to the women coming to the Council for help addressing the environmental degradation they were witnessing in their communities. And within that degradation — the deforestation and the desertification that was making it hard for women to provide for their families — Wangari recognized that respect for our planet and respect for women’s rights were intertwined. With these two goals in mind — a healthy planet and women’s right to feed their families, Wangari began planting trees. Her Green Belt Movement inspired others to plant trees in their communities, knowing that trees counteracted the effects of deforestation, bound soil, sequestered rainwater, and provided food and firewood.  

As the movement expanded, so did Wangari’s focus — growing to include democracy and human rights. 

There is much each of us can do, she insisted, giving direction in her speech entitled “Rise Up and Walk!” And it can start with planting trees.

Admiringly,

Dot

P.S. Bill McKibben points out another reason that trees matter so much, writing in his newsletter that “Tom Kimmerer has an interesting reflection on the power of shade at his Substack, which hit especially hard during the remarkable eastern heatwave at the start of the week. (My Champlain Valley has rarely if ever been so hot). He went out with his thermometer to measure the cooling effect of trees: Feet away from each other, he found pavement reading 140 degrees, and shaded grass clocking in at 84.” Thanks for the reminder, Bill.

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Pour out any remaining water from bottles into a nearby planter or tree, or even down a drain. And check out Bluedot’s story about an ingenious reuse for plastic bottles.

For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.

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