I have recently taken to writing posts that will enable reforestation in Northern Peru. Upvoted posts plant trees!
It all started when I won some SBD on the #Steemit Sandwich Contest hosted by @jaybird.
I was thinking how I could give something back. It clicked! I could raise funds to plant trees that are so necessary to the environment.
(One tree at a time, more if we upvote and I will plant)
Here in Northern Peru, population growth has boomed over the decades. Increasing population means increased energy consumption.
Not everyone here can afford to buy a 25 USD gas bottle and refill it for 15 USD. There is a section of society that cannot even afford the down payment of the gas bottle. Resorting to buying daily, wood or charcoal to cook with. Per day is like 30 to 40 cents us, but over the year it adds up to a lot more.
Poor get poorer as everything costs more in smaller amounts.
(to give you an idea of the local environment where the trees are planted)
You cant tell someone who cant afford anything else, you cant use firewood to cook with, never going to work!
Though managing natural resources is vital, especially with a growing population that is pushing over the natural threshold capacity. Threshold in regards to the natural local environment sustaining the needs of the local human population.
(native Algarrobo tree saplings)
You will have more chance of managing resources, in this case planting multiple trees to replace what is used to support local populations. This is especially true if there is a financial incentive. In this case the sale of firewood. Developing other cottage industries from reforestation such as tourism, medicinal, agro-forestry etc.expansion will of course take time and A LOT of effort. I have worked in international development for over a decade. It always isnt that simple as it seems.
In the first step of addressing this issue (local deforestation) in partnership with steemit. I have started to plant native tree saplings around where I live. I have been able to do this with simple upvotes.
I donate 100% of the SBD earned on the reforestation posts (like this one) to a local ngo called ecoswell. This ngo has a reforestation program in which they have small garden nurseries in the village. I donate to them and I get lots of tree saplings to plant myself. This on behalf of all you upvoters. I also place the receipts of the donation on here too in other posts. An example is found here.
(ready to be planted)
Everyweek I add all the SBD for the upvote a tree posts (including from the comments in that particular post). Once added I personally convert this in Peru Soles and donate it to the local ngo in exchange for native tree saplings.
(hostile terrain but it will host this native tree)