Valentine’s Day makes me downright giddy, mostly because I love “love” and see the day as an opportunity to be more mindful of all the people and things in my life, sending more handwritten notes and making more phone calls than usual. So when my friends ask, in relation to my job at the Rainforest Alliance, “Why should we care about some trees, especially trees in another country,” I bring it back to love.
In the same way that I try my best not to take for granted the wonderful friends, family members and pets in my life, I also try to be aware of my relationships with all living beings. Trees are part of that group: they play a crucial role in sustaining life – and therefore love – for the people in my life.
The Amazon alone produces 20% of the planet’s oxygen. Trees not only produce the air we breathe, but also absorb carbon dioxide – one of the biggest culprits of global warming – and act as natural filters for freshwater streams and rivers. Rainforests around the world contain key ingredients used in about one-fourth of modern medicines, not to mention some of my favorite things to eat and drink, like acai berries and Brazil nuts. And they’re the source of the timber used in basic human shelters as well as the most elegant architectural masterpieces.
Essentially, trees give us most of what we need to live and to live well. That’s what I call unconditional love. Loving trees back is part of self-preservation and self-love. It’s a no-brainer.
Maybe my friends will never set foot in a rainforest, but the health of forests in every part of the world impacts us all. If climate change results in a bad season for major coffee bean growers, then instantly your favorite cup of joe is scarce and costly. But that’s just a minor inconvenience. Climate disasters typically have the most severe and long-term impacts on the poor and disenfranchised. Policy and planning decisions make certain populations more physically and economically vulnerable to the ravages of climate change. Shantytowns in the Philippines are no match for typhoons. Southern California’s drought means people are spending more money on bottled water – and that added daily expense is most costly for those who are already scraping by.
Social justice and environmental justice do intersect, as you can see. Forests are also important because according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, nearly 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. That’s sustainability in the human sense: economics, culture and community. As someone who is very invested in social justice issues – when I’m fired up, I get into long discussions with friends about the US presidential election, the Flint water crisis (I’m from Michigan), #blacklivesmatter (my own black life has been mattering for quite some time) and yes, even the latest celebrity hullabaloo (everyone needs a little guilty-pleasure entertainment now and then) – I care about everyone’s quality of life. And again, in this global economy, it behooves all of us to care about comprehensive sustainability.
That is a lot to take in, and I’m not advocating for everyone to quit their jobs and become full-time rainforest activists. Indeed, my friends are well aware that human beings need to curb certain behaviors to restore the health of the planet. And it’s understandable that “tree hugging” isn’t at the top of their priority list when you consider immediate concerns like climbing out of student loan debt or not becoming a hashtag after a traffic stop. My own life is pretty busy, as a thirtysomething New York City transplant who works on my novel, practices yoga and goes to brunch on the weekends.
But there are things we all can do to help make sure the love that forests give us does not go unrequited. A simple first step is to become a more mindful consumer who takes the time to learn about how the things you love every day – like coffee, chocolate and flowers – impact our forests.
Finally, know that hundreds of millions of trees are out there actively loving you – so don’t fret if you don’t have a sweetheart this Valentine’s Day. Next time you’re near one, and if nobody is looking, I’d highly recommend swooping in for a nice, long hug.
Demetria Irwin is an editorial associate at the Rainforest Alliance headquarters in New York City.
This content is paid for by AMResorts in association with the Rainforest Alliance
