The World as a Future Laboratory E-Book

Martina Bonenberger

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 255

Beschreibung

"The World as a Future Laboratory" is an experiment within the global society, aimed particularly at igniting a spark of hope in today's children, youth, and young adults. Hope for a livable future. Hope that we are capable of halting the warming of our planet caused since the Industrial Revolution and, ideally, not exceeding the 1.5-degree limit. The book showcases numerous promising projects underway worldwide, offering a glimpse of a path forward, overcoming apocalyptic sentiments and rekindling optimism for the future, even as nature grows impatient with us. Across the globe, countless innovative startups and dynamic individuals are working to make our future sustainable. Decisive environmental and climate protection measures are essential. World leaders must act swiftly to ensure that the basic needs of the entire human race are met if we are to provide a future for nearly ten billion people in less than thirty years. Courageous representatives who embrace innovation, discard narrow-mindedness, and give the green light to sustainable projects are needed. "The World as a Future Laboratory" is not a guidebook or a visionary tome, although, admittedly, it may be a bit visionary. It speaks to my dream of an intact environment and intact humanity, and the journey to achieve it. The book delves into a total of EIGHT proposed solutions in detail, illustrating how this dream can be realized with unwavering discipline and passion.

Leseprobe

The World as a Laboratory for the Future

Will we survive?

by Mabonesch

Texts: © MaboneschCover design: © www.goldmaki.net - Syl Hillier

Martina BonenbergerChutzenstraße 67CH-3007 [email protected]

Du sagst NO FUTURE nur noch zwei Jahre, dann werden wir alle krepieren

You Can’t Run Away

(You say NO FUTURE in just two years, then we will all perish)

Udo Lindenberg

feat. Freundeskreis

1998

(new version from no future 1981)

On a Personal Note

In the summer of 2019, my son was in Greece, and my husband was on a mission in Nepal. I was recovering from a relentlessly severe case of pneumonia and often felt tired. The television was nearby, and the content seemed meaningless. I switched to educational programs and documentaries. Shows from ARTE, GEO, Galileo, and others showed me that there were many interesting and hopeful projects worldwide in the fight against human-induced climate change. Thanks to video-on-demand, I could assemble my own program. So, I sat captivated in front of the television, taking copious notes. Finally, I had found a topic for a book that I had wanted to write twenty years ago. At the same time, I started listening to music again and came across Udo Lindenberg and his brutally bleak video for "You Can't Run Away." The initial version was called "No Future." Lindenberg sings about a fifteen-year-old who sees no future perspective for himself. Nearly twenty years later, things don't look any better. The video reinforced my determination to write this book. The climate change generation also played a role. So, I grabbed my laptop and started writing.

Und wie aus Mist können aus schlechten Tagen fruchtbarer Boden entstehen, auf dem letztlich neue Entwicklungen wachsen

(And just as from manure, fertile soil can emerge from bad days, on which ultimately new developments can grow)

Zeitblüten

Greta Thunberg has succeeded in mobilizing global society for climate protection, inspiring and enthusing millions. She acted out of despair, out of fear of having no future. Unlike the young man in Lindenberg's video, Greta didn't run away; she took action. It is truly astonishing how a young girl can single-handedly move masses to stand up and say, enough is enough. We want a future. After all, we will soon inherit the planet that you have devastated. By the end of 2018, many media outlets had taken notice of her and her cause, sparking a tremendous wave of hype. Many young people became active, leading to the emergence of the Friday for Future movement. In 2019, many people voted for Green or right-wing parties. The global sense of renewal and change also jolted me awake. Being aware that we have a chance for a better future if we act right, I have refused to dwell on negative thoughts since that summer and (mostly) no longer let myself be distracted by the ubiquitous world's pain, whether it's the right-wing shift in many countries or the eerie doomsday mood. Even though some people still believe there will be a catastrophic event and humans will disappear from the planet Earth, and it must be so because we don't deserve anything better. They are probably right. We don't deserve our planet. We have plundered and abused it. But, as Lindenberg said in the early 1980s, I won't go along with that. If there is no more hope, what good are songs? Or books? Many musicians don't just want to entertain their fans; they want to motivate them, ignite hope or meaning in their lives. Udo Lindenberg achieved this with me, despite the negativity of the young man in the video. After a week of targeted media consumption, I felt an incredible sense of happiness and decided to write this book. I want to show all of you that hope for a future is not so far-fetched. For several decades, the entire world has become a laboratory for the future. And that's a good thing!

The books’ content

Of course, I am not able to write about all projects worldwide in one book. Therefore, I have selected projects within the scope of my eight proposed solutions. For a world in which we no longer exploit our planet. I don't know if the predicted catastrophic event will still happen. Maybe tomorrow? I don't believe in a sudden collapse, but rather in a slow decline. If we, as humans, and our descendants want to live on planet Earth for centuries to come, we must stop antagonizing nature and collectively overcome our capitalist system.

Wir müssen nicht das Klima retten, sondern uns. Der Erde ist egal, ob es Menschen gibt oder nicht. Die hat Milliarden Jahre ganz gut ohne uns gelebt.

(We don't have to save the climate, but ourselves. The Earth doesn't care if there are humans or not. It has been doing just fine for billions of years without us.)

Eckart von Hirschhausen

2020

When politicians are willing to set aside their blinkers and learn from their colleagues or innovative start-ups on how to restore balance to our environment, a significant hurdle will have been overcome. Since politicians make important decisions on behalf of all humans, it is now their turn to implement the demands of the younger generation. The pressure exerted by young people through the Friday for Future movement on politicians around the world is coming a bit late. However, it is (still) not too late. Once even the last politician realizes that time is running out, we can gradually move towards a healthier humanity. Nature is incredibly resilient and can recover quickly, provided that humans don't interfere. This is evidenced by the nuclear apocalypse in Chernobyl, Ukraine. It is a death zone for humans, but an incredible opportunity for nature. Venturing into the exclusion zone reveals nature in its pristine state, with wolves, foxes, and red deer roaming through untouched forests in an area the size of Luxembourg. The purpose of the exclusion zone is to protect humans from radiation, but the animals are likely unaffected. Within a year after the catastrophe, rodents returned. In the world of plants, radiation-resistant birch trees took over the mostly dead coniferous forest. Fortunately, the exclusion zone, expected to remain for thousands of years, will serve as a reminder. Now is the time to save ourselves, humans.

Back To Our Roots - Or How?

In my opinion, we don't have to go back to pre-industrial times to survive. Note: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change uses the reference period of 1850-1900 as the pre-industrial level. We can utilize many of our current and future technological advancements to live at a similar standard as today. However, sustainability must receive even greater attention. Certainly, not everything can happen overnight, yet, there are already many initiatives in the areas of environmental protection, sustainable mobility, consumption, nutrition, and the transition to clean energy sources. If I can ignite my sense of optimism for the future within you as well, I will have achieved my goal.

Starke Worte und Bilder können Menschen dazu bringen zu handeln, ambitiöse Taten hingegen, haben die Macht die Welt zu verändern.

(Powerful words and images can motivate people to act, but ambitious actions have the power to change the world.)

Mabonesch

The Problem: Human-Induced Climate Change

Temperatures have always changed and will continue to do so as long as planet Earth exists, even without human influence. However, since we have become greedy, the rate of temperature increase has accelerated rapidly. Some people still don't believe that our activities trigger wildfires, storms, or loss of biodiversity. I don't know how they explain these events.

On n’a qu’une terre

(We only have one Earth)

Stress, 2006

Despite ongoing global warming, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Non-mainstream media has played a significant role in shaping my positive outlook, and the digital revolution has made it possible. Well-researched articles and films from the internet have informed me about sustainable projects that bring hope, worldwide. With "The World as a Future Laboratory," I aim to share this information with you. The first seven proposed solutions build upon each other, with capable individuals ultimately working to mitigate global warming. It is high time for such efforts, as by 2020, global warming had already reached 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. In the first chapter, I describe different (natural and technical) ways in which emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) can be reduced, stored, or offset. The first way concerns our future living spaces: cities. Projects focusing on green architecture, (smart) forest cities, as well as innovative and sustainable house construction, are given attention. Due to formatting requirements for an eBook, the copyright for the images throughout the book belongs to "Copyright Pictures." Furthermore, Most of the sources are in the German language. I am sorry! However, I am happy to provide them in the English language upon request to interested individuals.

Solution Approach ONE

Reducing, Storing, and Offsetting Carbon Dioxide

Green Architecture in the Fight Against Climate Change

More Green Spaces for Urban Dwellers

Green spaces in cities improve the climate and bring recreational areas into the urban environment. Trees along streets help protect public spaces underground from damage caused by severe weather conditions, while also reducing air pollution. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed the Green View Index, which focuses on pedestrians' perceptions of a city. Instead of analyzing satellite images, data from Google Street View is used. Parks are not considered in the calculation. MIT has included over thirty major cities and made the information available through the open-source project Treepedia. Tampa ranks first on the list with just over thirty-six percent of green spaces. Tampa is a city of nearly four hundred thousand residents located on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Singapore and Breda (Netherlands) tie for second place with approximately thirty percent each. Paris is at the bottom of the list with just under nine percent.

Singapore - Asia's Greenest City

While heavily greened and modern buildings may still appear unusual to European eyes, they have long been part of Singapore's cityscape. Green construction projects in Singapore are funded 50% by the government. The city-state has long been regarded as a role model for sustainability in urban planning in Asia. Green replacement, the greening of areas, is legally mandated. Plants are to be integrated into as many buildings as possible. Nine percent of Singapore's land area consists of parks and nature reserves, all within a population of over five and a half million people. The city of superlatives has ambitious goals and aims to become the greenest city in the world soon. An exciting green attraction in Singapore is the Cloud Forest, a plant exhibition featuring the world's largest indoor waterfall. The Cloud Forest also houses the Flower Dome, where endangered plants from around the world are displayed.

Tree-Scrapers amidst Skyscrapers?

The OAS1S project represents one hundred percent green architecture. It is led by Dutch architect Raimond de Hullu, who designs green tower houses for urban dwellers seeking a connection with nature. These somewhat futuristic houses, called Tree-Scrapers, are completely covered with plants and ideally located in city parks. Creating Waste-Free, Energy-Efficient, and Self-Sustaining Communities.

However, so far, only blueprints for Tree-Scrapers exist, despite receiving project proposals from around the world after the launch of the OAS1S website. Submissions came from countries such as the United States (US), Brazil, Belgium, Indonesia, and Germany. Are Tree-Scrapers too green to become a reality? De Hullu told me the realization of the Tree-Scrapers projects was progressing very slowly, mainly due to financing and regulatory reasons. Nevertheless, De Hullu is convinced that the time for one hundred percent green architecture has come. I believe it can only be beneficial to allow more nature into our living spaces and to see humans as part of the ecological cycle.

Bringing Nature into Cities

For urban planning, nature has had to give way to cities for far too long. Insect diversity drastically decreased, primarily because humans built upwards due to limited space. This is where Italian architect Stefano Boeri's vertical greening comes into play. He is both a visionary and a doer. His first two plant-covered skyscrapers are located in Milan, and Boeri received several awards for these so-called vertical forests. An emerging forest right in the city has many advantages. Plants filter fine dust, release oxygen during the day, moderate heat in the summer, and prevent rapid cooling in the winter. Additionally, they reduce uncontrolled water runoff into the sewage system and thus the risk of river flooding. Boeri aims to bring green architecture to the whole world to contribute to combating global warming in cities. More vertical forest projects by Boeri are planned or already underway in Shanghai, Nanjing, Frankfurt, Lausanne, and Utrecht. In the Dutch city of Eindhoven, the concept of the vertical forest is being implemented for the first time in social housing. A residential complex is being built where over a hundred low-income families will reside across nineteen floors. Through such projects, the issues of housing shortage and climate change in cities are being addressed. Whenever possible, native and robust trees are selected for Boeri's forest projects to provide the plants with the best possible growth opportunities.

China: Forest Cities

Stefano Boeri is now also planning entire cities in China, where the world's first forest city is already under construction. Liuzhou Forest City is designed to accommodate thirty thousand people and will be completely covered with shrubs and trees. Forty thousand trees and nearly a million different plant species will be cultivated. The city's energy supply will come from photovoltaics and geothermal energy. This project aims to establish an urban settlement with sustainable energy supply, planned biodiversity, and reduced air pollution.

Mexico: Smart Forest City Cancún

Boeri has also planned another forest city south of Cancún. With an area of nearly six hundred hectares, the city is intended to accommodate 130,000 people amidst more than seven million plants. In collaboration with German company Transsolar, the forest city aims to become self-sufficient. Energy production will rely on a photovoltaic system, and the water supply will come from an underground water canal directly connected to the sea. This water cycle is a central element of the project and aims to raise awareness about the circular economy. At the entrance to the city, there is a large harbor basin and tower where seawater is desalinated. The mobility in the Smart Forest City Cancún is sustainable, relying exclusively on electric transportation equipped with intelligent charging stations.I would have loved to show you pictures of Boeri's forest cities or individual green buildings - they are simply fantastic! However, these images can only be purchased for a lot of money, for example, through Gettyimages.ch. I suggest you search the internet and be impressed.

Seattle: Rooftop Conservatories at the Amazon Campus

Seattle architect Margaret Montgomery is another who designs with a green approach, as sustainability lead at global architecture firm NBBJ, which stands for the first letter of the surnames of its 1943 founders. The firm designed the spherical rooftop conservatories at the Amazon campus in downtown Seattle. Known as the Amazon Spheres, up to 800 employees can work in each sphere, which houses 40,000 plants. Securing a workspace in one of these spheres is undoubtedly highly coveted. Unfortunately, images of the Amazon Spheres also require payment. Apart from green architecture and smart forest cities, urban projects that aim to make existing cities greener are increasingly being implemented worldwide. Think of biodiversity, roof gardens on bus stops, or the greening of streets. Now, I will present you with some exciting sustainable housing projects. Although not many readers may plan to live in such houses or use the featured sustainable building materials, I still want to inform you. Who knows, maybe some of you will be inspired and place great value on sustainability in your future home construction.

United States: Revolutionary and Forward-Thinking "Earthships"

The concept of so-called Earthships was developed back in the 1970s by American architect Mike Reynolds. At that time, environmental protection and energy efficiency were not yet on everyone's lips. Michael Reynolds once said, "Earthships are ships that will not sink in the stormy ocean of the future." Earthships are built almost entirely using recycled and natural materials. The only modern components are the solar cells on the roof. With solar energy, the residents have access to hot water for showering and washing. In case the energy supply is insufficient, the water can be heated using a wood stove or gas boiler. These houses are completely self-sufficient and do not need to be connected to any utility systems. Like a ship at sea, the Earthship can sustain itself. This sustainable house is meticulously designed.

Rainwater is collected on the roofs and stored in tanks. The water is filtered and purified through filtration systems, with only the drinking water passing through all the filters. No water is wasted. For example, shower water is directed through the plant beds, where it is roughly cleaned before flowing into the toilet. Each Earthship has its own sewage treatment system. Microorganisms clean the wastewater from the toilets, and the water is then used for garden irrigation. Three walls of the Earthship are made of thick walls, constructed using recycled old tires or cans, which are packed with materials such as earth, sand, or clay. Old glass bottles are also incorporated into the walls, allowing natural light to illuminate the rooms. The houses are well-insulated, with a portion of them being below ground level, ensuring a constant temperature within the Earthship. The fourth wall is made of glass, always oriented towards the south. The heat and light from the sun provide enough energy to minimize the electricity and heating needs. Many homeowners also grow vegetables, herbs, and even fruits along the glass front, enabling self-sufficiency. Some even have small fish ponds. Sustainable materials are used for the interior spaces, preferably reclaimed wood whenever possible. Those interested can visit the Earthship organization in New Mexico and it is even possible to spend the night, as some Earthships are rented for overnight stays.

The best source of information on the construction process of an Earthship is its creator, and Reynolds discusses his approach in this interview from 2018 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LjHFAbBJr4). After the tsunami in Asia in 2004, he began building Earthships in post-natural disaster areas. Today, there are homes in Haiti, Honduras, and the Philippines. As of 2020, the Reynolds organization has constructed 3,000 Earthships worldwide and developed a residential concept for areas affected by typhoons called Windship. I would have overlooked Reynolds’ work without Laki. Thank you!

Netherlands: Houses made of Cardboard - Wikkelhouse

The Dutch start-up Fiction Factory in Amsterdam has brought to life the childhood dream of living in a cardboard house. It may not sound very sturdy, but after four years of research on the so-called Wikkelhouse, the company has proven that it is indeed possible to live in a house made of cardboard. The walls consist of twenty-four layers of cardboard, made from Scandinavian trees and bonded together with a natural adhesive. The cardboard structure is then covered with wood. The manufacturers promise that the cardboard house will last up to a hundred years. The following Wikkelhouses can be found on Heligoland (Germany), in the De Kleeperstee holiday park (Netherlands), and in Chile (specific location unknown).

The major challenge was to make the house windproof and weatherproof. To achieve this, the designers used a water-repellent yet breathable membrane called Miotex, which can be applied to the exterior shell. The Miotex film only needs to be renewed every thirty years. The structure of the house was designed in such a way that an unlimited number of components can be connected together. The standard house has a floor area of forty square meters and is available, including interior furnishings, for 80,000 euros.

If more rooms are needed, you can use as many components as desired. However, such a component doesn't come cheap – a five-square-meter component costs 25,000 euros. The Wikkelhouse is certainly unique. The two most obvious advantages over conventional houses are that all components are fully recyclable and the house can be assembled within a day. So far, the Fiction Factory has built over a hundred of these houses, which are being used around the world including Chile, Germany, France, and England.

Low-tech instead of high-tech: Straw Bale Houses

Houses made with straw bales have been built for over a hundred years, particularly in North America. Numerous projects have shown that healthy and long-lasting houses can be constructed using this sustainable building material that can reach at least two stories high. Interest in these houses has been growing in Europe in recent years, and architects are increasingly exploring this ecological construction method. However, the legitimate question arises regarding the amount of embodied energy used until such a house is completed. Consider the energy required for sourcing materials such as stones or concrete, as well as their manufacturing and transportation. On the other hand, straw is an agricultural by-product. There are many aspects to consider when building a straw bale house, but if done correctly, it can make a significant contribution to environmental protection. During its growth, the plant absorbs CO₂ from the atmosphere. Compared to most common building materials, straw requires a fraction of the manufacturing energy and possesses excellent thermal insulation properties. By utilizing renewable and locally available resources such as clay, straw, and wood, it is possible to construct highly environmentally friendly buildings. Thanks to Yvonne, my former fellow student for this project suggestion! In Switzerland, a small straw bale settlement has been built.

Switzerland: A Village Made of Straw and Wood

Atelier Schmidt, an architectural firm from the canton of Graubünden known for its sustainable, self-sufficient, and ecological building practices, has been successful in the niche of straw house construction for quite some time. Their buildings can be found not only in Switzerland but also in Germany and Italy. The request for Switzerland's first straw bale settlement came from Nänikon in the canton of Zurich. The third-generation owners of the former factory site were determined to create a sustainable development. The settlement, called Vogelsang, was built in the middle of the village amidst old trees. The architects collaborated with timber construction, roofing, and plumbing companies from various cantons. The client had specific requirements: the production of the building materials must be energy-efficient, and the future operation of the properties should be sustainable. During the dismantling of the settlement, all waste was to be properly treated, recycled or disposed of to ensure no negative impact on the environmento ensure the well-being of future residents, the inter-cantonal team utilized natural building materials such as straw, wood, clay, and lime. Out of the total twenty-eight apartments, eleven are rented by the client, and the remaining units quickly sold.

Living Houses - Revolution or Science Fiction? The Mushroom Man

American Phil Ross is an artist, inventor and biotechnologist who specializes in biotechnology in general, and mushroom structures for sculptures, interior design, and architecture in particular. Growing up in the metropolis of New York, he wanted to establish a connection with nature. In the 1980s, Ross worked in a vegan kitchen where he first learned about working with edible mushrooms. Later, he cultivated Reishi medicinal mushrooms and discovered that the mushroom's mycelium, the root network, could be used as a malleable and pliable material. Initially, he created art forms from "nature's concrete," a material that hardens quickly but remains alive and malleable for a long time. Ross crafted furniture, sculptures, and other artworks and was amazed to find that mycelium is harder than cement. A brick made of mycelium can even crush cement. To shape a mycelium brick, the material needs to dry in the desired form for a week, after which it is baked. The heat kills the spores, preventing further mushroom growth. Ross holds a visiting professorship at Stanford University, in biotechnology, and believes that mushroom structures are the industrial material of the future. When he shared his conviction with colleagues, they labelled him as a "fungus freak." Undeterred, Ross continued his research, and patented his idea in 2012, co-founding the start-up Mycoworks with Sophia Wang in 2013. A few years later, the team found themselves inundated with inquiries. Ross commented: "We are saying the same things we said five years ago; the only difference is that we are being heard today. "Watch this 2021 Alta Live interview with the Mushroom Man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck-IlOeUN8M. Today, single-use packaging and other products are also being made from mycelium. But let's delve into that further in approach SIX. At this point, I would like to draw your attention to the research conducted by TERRE-formative or Terreform ONE. On the website https://www.terreform.org you will find numerous projects that aim to integrate biodiversity and building construction in the future, including public art, living houses, urban design, and building construction. Today, the design and architecture community views microorganisms as a potential means to improve human living spaces. Some researchers consider biotechnology as the next evolutionary process of the industrial revolution.

Cinema Snack Gets a New Purpose: Insulating Houses with Popcorn

For over a decade, the so-called BalanceBoard has been available in stores. It is a type of particle board made from approximately one-third popcorn granules. These boards are significantly lighter than conventional particle boards.

The material made from popcorn was developed at the University of Göttingen, where today, Professor Alireza Kharazipour and his team are taking this one step further - diligently pressing popcorn granules into preformed shapes and coating them with glue to create objects made entirely of popcorn granules. This natural Styrofoam can be used as insulation material, for office partition walls, particle boards, packaging, furniture, and toys. Popped corn kernels are ideal as raw materials for environmentally friendly composite materials. Researchers are investigating many other natural substances that they hope to use for house insulation in the future, such as cork, jute, wood shavings, sheep wool, or seagrass. However, most of them are not yet suitable for commercial use.

The second approach I will introduce in this chapter is reforestation. Even though many forests are currently burning, releasing the CO₂ absorbed by the trees back into our atmosphere, reforestation is important to prevent climate tipping points and promote biodiversity.

Carbon Sink: Forests

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich believe that planting one trillion trees could delay climate tipping points by ten to fifteen years. That's not much time. Note: Carbon sinks, or carbon dioxide sinks, are reservoirs in the Earth's system that absorb and store carbon temporarily or permanently. Carbon sinks are dynamic and can grow (such as reforested forests or peatlands), while carbon stores are static, meaning they can bind a certain amount of CO₂

Global Reforestation

In 2019, scientists from the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich published a study calculating the global forest area that would need to be planted to stop global warming. According to the researchers, it would require 900 million hectares of forest worldwide – economically unused land - preferably in Russia, the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and China. However, the study received significant criticism from scientists around the world. Among many other points, critics questioned the study's claim in the summary that global reforestation is the "most effective solution to climate change”. Some commentators deemed this statement "scientifically incorrect" and "dangerously misleading." Another criticism was that the study did not adequately describe the Earth's diversity. Numerous regions in Africa were designated for afforestation, even though they are often densely populated by humans. Savannah areas and grasslands were included as potential targets for afforestation in the study. Emeritus Professor of Botany in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, William John Bond, is not a proponent of afforestation in areas where there was no forest before, such as reforesting grasslands or savannas in Africa. I fully agree with him. To restore the natural balance, it is necessary to use native plants and focus on reforestation rather than afforestation. Next, let me introduce you to some interesting reforestation projects carried out by states, organizations, and private individuals.

Alle Freunde dieser Welt, pflanzt einen Baum

(Plant a Tree, Friends of the World)

dieZwei, Cover Outkast Whole World

2012

Russia

In Russia, there are environmental organizations that distance themselves from the laissez-faire attitude in climate policy and initiate their own projects. Russia's forests have experienced devastating wildfires before, such as the over two million hectares of forest destroyed in 2010. At that time, a young Russian woman, Marianna Muntianu, who is now an environmental activist, was shocked when she saw the images on television. She and many young people waited in vain for someone to reforest the charred areas. When no action was taken, Marianna joined Russian environmental organization ECA and took over coordination for reforestation in her home region of Kostroma. With the financial support of a cosmetics producer and a large number of volunteers, the ECA movement managed to reforest ten million trees in forty regions of Russia by 2015. Working for the Russian environmental movement fundamentally changed Muntianu's life. The organization appointed her as a Plant a Forest Leader. In this position, she developed a communication strategy to raise awareness about climate and the environment among the population. In 2019, Muntianu and her team released the mobile game "Plant the Forest”, where users have the opportunity to virtually plant trees on fallow land and protect them from fire and pests. At the same time, they can donate money to ECA for real trees to be planted. For this innovative approach, the environmental activist received the Young Champions of the World Award in the same year. This award has been presented by the United Nations Environment Programme since 2017 to young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who show exceptional dedication to the environment. Today, Muntianu leads the Russian Climate Fund and aims to plant one billion trees by 2030.

Australia

Australia experienced devastating bushfires during the 2019/2020 fire season. People lost their lives or faced the ruins of their existence. One hundred thousand livestock and an incredible three billion wild animals were lost. In total, approximately nineteen million hectares of forest were burned. Following the "black summer," the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) Australia launched an AUD 300 million initiative. This initiative aims to restore wildlife habitats, revitalize communities affected by bushfires, promote sustainable agriculture, and support Australia's preparedness for the future, by planting and protecting nearly 2.5 billion trees by 2030. This ambitious undertaking is also facilitated by seeding drones developed by the Australian company Airseed Technologies.

Photos: Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airseed Technologies, Andrew Walker, demonstrates to a WWF Australia employee how a seeding drone works, and then they inspect a drone seeding operation.