Peddling the tree-planting gospel across continents
Aug 25, 2008
IT is their second transcontinental cycling trip, but Amiram Roth-Deblon and Ragna Schmidt-Haupt are not in the least bit tired. They are on a pedal powered mission the length of Africa to get people out of their cars and on to their bicycles and to remind them of the importance of planting trees an
By Jonathan Pulik
IT is their second transcontinental cycling trip, but Amiram Roth-Deblon and Ragna Schmidt-Haupt are not in the least bit tired. They are on a pedal powered mission the length of Africa to get people out of their cars and on to their bicycles and to remind them of the importance of planting trees and renewable energy.
They have already ridden across southeast Asia for the same cause.
Amiram is a solar energy engineer. His partner Ragna also works on the finance side of the industry. They are not here to preach to Africans. Rather Amiram and Ragna say Africa has a lot to teach the West when it comes to reducing people’s carbon footprint.
“Africans can serve as role models to the West when it comes to reducing energy consumption,†says Ragna. “Here, tree-planting is on everyone’s mind unlike in the West. There everyone talks about the environment, but no one is doing anything about it.â€
In Uganda, together with the Ruboni Community Conservation Development Project (RCCDP) the two cyclers planted 380 indigenous trees at the village between Fort Portal and Kasese. About 30 community members, mainly women in their 50s and 60s, scrambled barefoot up muddy slopes carrying saplings on their heads and planted them on land that has been denuded by farming.
Samuel Thembo Bwabu, president of the Ruboni Community Conservation Development Project, whose members planted the majority of the saplings, some endangered species, says the community’s aim is to purchase and reforest land along the Rwenzori National Park boundary drawing wildlife and tourists who will provide income to locals and take an active part in conservation.
The money has so far been used to sponsor local children’s school fees.
“We feel grateful because we are adding to an existing forest,†he says.
“Planting trees prevents the soil from being swept away into rivers. They also bring rain,†says Bwabu remarking that precipitation in the region has dropped off in recent years because of deforestation.
Amiram called the tree planting at Ruboni the “most adventurous†to date. Uganda is the third country on their grueling itinerary after Ethiopia and Kenya.
Ragna and Amiram who started their odyssey in Ethiopia, plant at least 10 trees in each country they pass through, running environmental awareness workshops in communities along the way and changing the bicycle’s perception as the ‘poor man’s car’.
When they end their ride in either Namibia or South Africa in one and a half years time, they will have cycled more than 10,000 kilometres.
In line with their commitment to reducing global warming, they will travel home aboard an ocean container ship since air travel is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, spewing millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
You can track Amiram and Ragna’s journey through Africa and learn more about cycling, tree planting and renewable energy on the Internet at www.cycle-generation.org.
IT is their second transcontinental cycling trip, but Amiram Roth-Deblon and Ragna Schmidt-Haupt are not in the least bit tired. They are on a pedal powered mission the length of Africa to get people out of their cars and on to their bicycles and to remind them of the importance of planting trees and renewable energy.
They have already ridden across southeast Asia for the same cause.
Amiram is a solar energy engineer. His partner Ragna also works on the finance side of the industry. They are not here to preach to Africans. Rather Amiram and Ragna say Africa has a lot to teach the West when it comes to reducing people’s carbon footprint.
“Africans can serve as role models to the West when it comes to reducing energy consumption,†says Ragna. “Here, tree-planting is on everyone’s mind unlike in the West. There everyone talks about the environment, but no one is doing anything about it.â€
In Uganda, together with the Ruboni Community Conservation Development Project (RCCDP) the two cyclers planted 380 indigenous trees at the village between Fort Portal and Kasese. About 30 community members, mainly women in their 50s and 60s, scrambled barefoot up muddy slopes carrying saplings on their heads and planted them on land that has been denuded by farming.
Samuel Thembo Bwabu, president of the Ruboni Community Conservation Development Project, whose members planted the majority of the saplings, some endangered species, says the community’s aim is to purchase and reforest land along the Rwenzori National Park boundary drawing wildlife and tourists who will provide income to locals and take an active part in conservation.
The money has so far been used to sponsor local children’s school fees.
“We feel grateful because we are adding to an existing forest,†he says.
“Planting trees prevents the soil from being swept away into rivers. They also bring rain,†says Bwabu remarking that precipitation in the region has dropped off in recent years because of deforestation.
Amiram called the tree planting at Ruboni the “most adventurous†to date. Uganda is the third country on their grueling itinerary after Ethiopia and Kenya.
Ragna and Amiram who started their odyssey in Ethiopia, plant at least 10 trees in each country they pass through, running environmental awareness workshops in communities along the way and changing the bicycle’s perception as the ‘poor man’s car’.
When they end their ride in either Namibia or South Africa in one and a half years time, they will have cycled more than 10,000 kilometres.
In line with their commitment to reducing global warming, they will travel home aboard an ocean container ship since air travel is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, spewing millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
You can track Amiram and Ragna’s journey through Africa and learn more about cycling, tree planting and renewable energy on the Internet at www.cycle-generation.org.