How to Regrow a Rain Forest - Willie Smits

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/09/08/CARBON_Willie_Smits_on_Replenishing_a_Rainforest

Conservationist Willie Smits explains the goals of Samboja Lestari, an agricultural project helping to combat the environmental crisis in Indonesia. The project has been successful in not only regrowing the rain forest, but also in fighting climate change and creating jobs.

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Willie Smits is presenting at Momentum 2009 on the Carbon Plenary: A shift is underway from considering environmental issues a "special interest" to an understanding that the human impact on the planet and its life-sustaining atmosphere must inform every aspect of endeavor, from business to politics to culture. Ignorance could destroy even the possibility of bliss unless changing our ways becomes a central tenet of the social contract.

This plenary's speakers will explore this shift, how it can become a celebrated element in our renewal, and how restoration holds the promise of redemption.

Smits' momentum: "Nature is beautiful. Destroying its complexity is suicidal for mankind. I want to contribute to a better and fair future for people and nature." - Momentum Conference

The founder of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation and Chairman of the Masarang Foundation in Indonesia, Willie Smits has rescued tens of thousands of animals from the illegal wildlife trade and planted several million trees. He uses his knowledge of diverse scientific fields, including plant propagation and microbiology, forestry, carbon issues, social agroforestry, environmental monitoring, and alternative energy, for the betterment of people and their living environment.

Masarang Foundations most well-known project is its palm sugar factory, a zero-waste facility that provides sustainable jobs and saves 200,000 trees each year. Smits directs a university in Indonesia, his home for 30 years, and has trained more than 1,000 Indonesian environmental experts and hundreds of Ph.D. students. He is the recipient of many awards and was knighted in his country of origin, The Netherlands.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• rainforest
• jungle
• conservation
• activism
• activist
• non
• profit
• forests
• trees
• indonesia
• clear
• cutting
• cut
• economics
• fora.tv
• foratv
• fora
• tv

[blackiron60]

This is what can be achieved when inspired people work together.

[chadmalik]

this is great stuff. much better than paving everything over.

[universetechnique]

Remember I was here.Follow me I know what is best trust me.You will be changed forever.Thai 5:00PM 7/25/2011

[ennead90]

If I may, might I make a suggestion on another part of the world to try this project.

West Africa, because this part shows how destructive deforestation is. As a young black man I would love to see the remaining rainforests of my ancestral regions make a comeback.

[BadAttitude2009]

i'm going to plant a tree for everyone of my babies momma. i need to have lot's more kids sense everything is going to be okay. thank God for global warming. everything will be green soon with the greenhouse effect. (GO GREEN!)

[1RadicalOne]

We need to apply this tactic to the rest of the Terran surface...