News from the Natural World: The UN has announced that all graveyards will be replanted with trees and renamed “Forest’s of Remembrance”.
The decision is an effort to combat the effects of climate change as well as increase tree planting. It is hoped that the trees will draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere of the earth. A Think Tank named “Ashes for Ash Trees” came up with the idea to replant all graveyards with trees. The initiative will see existing graveyards replanted entirely. The trees will be planted around, on top of, near and across all gravestones. Gravestones themselves will become a thing of the past and will instead be replaced with “Grave Trees”. Families will be able to select a specific species of tree in memory of their loved ones.
Graveyards renamed “Forests of Remembrance”
The United Nations passed the bill with overwhelming support. The think tank drew attention to space currently used by graveyards across the world. Graveyards take up a huge amount of space all over the world. One spokesperson for “Ashes for Ash Trees” said;
“They won’t mind, they’re dead. If they didn’t mind the worms eating them, they certainly wouldn’t mind a tree being planted on top of them.”
But critics have argued that planting trees in existing graveyards is a desecration of those who have passed on. Ultimately it also robs families of a place to grieve. Many have questioned whether a headstone with a name on offers more comfort than a specific tree. But do we care more about dead people from the past or the children of the future?”