THE NEW ARTICLE - "THEY PLANNED THEIR FUTURE...""

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come." - Chinese proverb

Did you know? Forests and wooded land cover 42% of the EU's surface. They provide more than 2 million jobs, protect soil and human settlements and regulate freshwater supplies. Forests act like 'sinks' that absorb carbon dioxide and even regulate local and regional weather. Europe's forests face huge threats from global warming: fires, droughts and forest diseases. Some trees are expected to disappear from certain areas. Can we protect European forests and prepare them for climate change? It is a really difficult question.

The rapid climate change endangers the European forests, extreme events such as storms, forest fires and droughts are expected to become much more common. Some forests type will shrink dramatically, some tree types may disappear in some areas in Europe. Did you know that Beech is expected to disappear in the Mediterranean zone and production of mushrooms and herbs will be drastically reduced throughout Europe. Yes, it is true! And what can we do? A lot!

Read what the assistants of the MEP Peter Slovák did to support the environment on 20th May 2011 - the day which is dedicated to Biological Diversity and also all the year 2011 is the International Year of Forests. They realized it is time to act, so they visited all the schools in the town of Levice and informed the students about the special day of 20th May.

The MEP´s assistants joined online ENO Programme which invited schools all over the world to celebrate this event by planting trees. Together with their schoolmates the MEP´s asistants planted several trees in the area of their school. This act has contributed for our environment by planted trees and made young people think of their future. These young people have understood the more they care for their nature, the better life conditions they can expect in the future.

A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love... he who plants trees gathers future...