ITWeb gets planting to honour pledge
ITWeb has planted 20 indigenous trees at Walkhaven Dog Park, in Johannesburg, fulfilling its Earth Hour pledge to donate trees for readers' support of the global awareness event.
In the run-up to Earth Hour, held on 31 March, ITWeb ran a challenge inviting readers to partake in Earth Hour and make a personal commitment to doing something positive for the environment, whether saving water or starting recycling. ITWeb pledged to plant one tree for every 10 comments showing support.
The Earth Hour initiative sees homes and businesses around the world switch off non-essential lighting for an hour in March every year, to raise awareness around climate change and the environment.
With just over 150 people taking part in the Earth Hour challenge, ITWeb committed to planting 15 trees on their behalf. The trees were planted in partnership with local online search company GreenSrch.com, which donated a further five trees, bringing the total to 20.
ITWeb staff members gathered at the Walkhaven reforestation site on a recent Saturday morning, and with a good deal of digging, planting and watering, got all 20 trees in the ground by lunchtime.
ITWeb editorial director Ranka Jovanovic says the company wanted to get involved with an action that would live beyond Earth Hour, as well as allow others within ITWeb's area of influence to participate.
“The partnership with the local green search engine GreenSrch.com and related ad network Ads4Trees, enabled us to do that,” she says.
“I'm happy that the first 20 saplings have been planted, and we will continue growing the ITWeb forest. I hope this will inspire other people and companies to get involved or intensify their environmentally-friendly initiatives.”
David Hounson, co-founder of GreenSrch.com and Ads4Trees, says tree-planting is still the most affordable and meaningful way in which to slow the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, while significantly increasing the planet's biomass and creating new and sustainable jobs in the green industry.
A single tree will absorb approximately one tonne of C02 in its lifetime, helping to reduce emissions and remove contaminants from the air, while producing oxygen and creating habitats for birds and wildlife.
“It's very heartening to see companies in the digital and media space being so committed to the environment and in a very literal sense, rolling up their sleeves and getting involved,” says Hounson.
“The IT and media industries have over the years (and still continue) to be major contributors to carbon emissions, and so ITWeb's Earth Hour pledge and subsequent involvement of so many staff in this fun tree-planting project is definitely a way to send the right message to the industry.”
See photos of the event on ITWeb's Facebook page.