Environmental research

Global climate change, sometimes referred to as global warming, is the looming environmental threat that all of us will have to face in the 21st century. Industrial society, based for 200 years on the combustion of oil, coal, and gas, has changed the basic mechanics of our planet`s self-regulating temperature balance. Fortunately, people, companies, and governments around the world are taking steps to reduce fossil fuel emissions and change the way we produce and use energy. Their efforts are focused on reducing emissions, the key to long-term sustainability. Community of the small village Ostky of Rivne region plans to rehabilitate forest near their village to decrease climate change impact and improve their livelihood. It is planned that 150 ha will be covered and 450 ha of young forests will be kept up in the framework of the proposed project. There is another simple, effective way the local people can be part of the solution today: Plant a tree, cool the globe. You can plant trees to offset your personal carbon dioxide emissions and reduce CO2 in our atmosphere. Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary gas causing global climate change. Trees retain the carbon (C) from the CO2 molecule and release oxygen (O2) into the atmosphere. The carbon makes up half the dry weight of a tree. Forests are the world`s second largest carbon reservoirs (oceans are the largest). Unlike oceans, however, we can grow new forests. Planting new trees remains one of the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess CO2 from the atmosphere. One acre of forestland will sequester between 150 - 200 tons of CO2 in its first 40 years. The second important achievement of the proposed initiative will be community participation and establishment of the local ecological movement to further develop environmental initiatives and actions in the remote areas near Ostky village. Finally, new partnerships will be built among local people, local government, youth, state forestry enterprise.

Ukraine