It’s a Solution Mindset – Leaving the World in Even Better Shape Than We Found It.

We are primitive thinkers when we think that we belong to a group, or a city or a country. That primitive thinking causes separation, and it requires a shift – as we move into this new “one world” global era!

New global thought requires a broadening of perspective. It’s a courageous viewpoint that will allow us to globalize and encompass all – as one world! Are you willing?

Most people would answer “YES, of course, I’m willing.” Then reality sets in and boundaries are evident. Languages separate. And we struggle with questions like: How can we create a global currency? How could we have energy nations of the world operate with peace? And in the absence of dominance and power? How can we work together to create sustainable energy? How do we rectify climate change and the environmental damage of this energy era? These are the energy questions of the day. And they need answers!

Diana Beresford-Kroeger

There are obvious answers arising to globalization. The Internet links, educates and binds us! But there are other answers emerging which are not so obvious; yet, they are as dramatically impactful and important. One of the answers to our global transition may be in the work of Diana Beresford-Kroeger.

Diana Beresford-Kroeger currently resides in Ontario, Canada, and is a botanist, medical biochemist, and she calls herself a “renegade scientist.” Her claim to fame is bringing together a unique mix of ethnobotany, horticulture, wisdom and alternative medicine that merges into a solution with “trees” as the answer to a sustainable world. Culminating her life’s work into popular books Diana has written: The Global Forest; Arboretum Borealis: A Lifeline of the Planet; Arboretum America: A Philosophy of the Forest; The Global Forest: 40 Ways Trees Can Save us; and more.

As the planet draws closer to the pollution point of no return, the native trees and plants in the boreal forest are our superior line of defense. Theboreal forest regulates the weather, filters the air, and it provides the oxygen we need to breathe. Every breath of oxygen we take comes from our trees and our oceans. If we cut down the trees, it’s very simple: we will be unable to breathe.

Diana describes trees with a unique perspective, “This planet sustains us, as the reaction of photosynthesis happens in all green things. It’s the green machine that keeps us alive. There are many trees that have a direct impact on our health. For example, many of the willows provide salicylic acids which enter the breathing system as an anti-viral compound. The pine trees also produce alpha and beta pinene compounds, which are antibiotic and anti-fungal compounds, and assist in our ability to be well and function as humans. Other trees produce a huge range of medicinal compounds.”

Diana has a research-filled garden that is full of rare and endangered tree species. She says, “The seeds in my garden are able to withstand global warming and climate change. These seeds that are now growing into trees are the ones that help to work to regulate the weather, keep potable water clean, support the food system, filter the air, provide anti-fungal compounds, provide migratory feeding and resting points for the whole global community, and keep the global air mass clean. It’s really important for our future because these are the trees that are the heartiest of the hearty. Many are genetically superior, and they will withstand the pollutants that we find in our world today.”

The Boreal Forest

Canada’s boreal forest is part of a great northern circumpolar band of mostly coniferous trees, extending across the subarctic latitudes of Russia, Scandinavia and North America. Globally, the boreal forest comprises almost 25 percent of the world’s closed canopy forest as well as vast expanses of open transitional forest.

Today, as we delineate oil resources from the northern boreal forest of Alberta in the lucrative oil sands, we must consider first and foremost what actually has more value – that oil or that tree? Not onlyis value a consideration, but also sustainable “longterm” right action is key.

Alberta’s oil sands underlie 140,800 kilometers or 21 percent of Alberta – an area the size of Florida. Most of the oil sands are found under the boreal forest and underlie 37 percent of Alberta’s Boreal Forest Natural Region.

Understanding the true value of trees and their purpose has us consider the impact of removing the Boreal Forest to mine for oil. It would have us make informed decisions with the long-term picture in mind – our children in mind.

“Reclamation teams” in Alberta spend much of their time doing just that – finding new and unique ways to restore the forest to its highest possible order. Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act requires operators in the region, to conserve and reclaim specified land and obtain a reclamation certificate. These certificates are issued to operators when their site has been successfully reclaimed. Diana’s work can be instrumental in the success of reclamation programs and enhance certification solutions.

The answer to our future is not to stop producing oil and gas, or stop production in the Alberta oil sands.Rather it’s recognizing the ultimate goal, delineating our resources while, simultaneously, reaching sustainable outcomes. Imagine the possibility of REFORESTING the entire oil sands with superior trees that maximize the environment – so that it’s even healthier and more pristine than its original form. That’s a goal worth working for!

Tanya Richens, Reclamation Approvals Specialist with Alberta Environment, knows what it takes to turn a mine into a working, breathing, natural habitat. “Reclamation is so complex. It’s integrated. You get to work on everything – soils, vegetation, water, wildlife. It’s a holistic perspective,” she says. “We’re returning entire ecosystems back to the landscape. When I stand on Gateway Hill (Syncrude’s first certified reclaimed site) and see how much it has changed in the ten years that I’ve been working in the oil sands, I’m excited. You can see that the work matters.”

Trees hold many answers to the eco-balance of our world. Trees are the lungs of our planet. We look forward to seeing more of the work of Diana, Tanya and others, who dare to find creative and innovative solutions – for a new age sustainable future!