Just as we need oxygen to survive, and a richly oxygenated environment to thrive, plants need carbon dioxide. Fortunately, there is a perfect balance between flora and fauna; we need oxygen, but release carbon dioxide while plants need carbon dioxide, and give off oxygen. Plants enhance our environment, just as we enhance theirs.
This perfect balance is offset by the release of extra carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels and from deforestation. Carbon dioxide that would have naturally been released over a period of millions of years is now being released within a few centuries as fuel is burned. Also, when massive numbers of trees are felled, excessive amounts of CO2 gas are being released into the air, combined with the loss of trees which would have absorbed the carbon dioxide and released oxygen. The natural cycle is offset by our present use of the earth's resources. As a result, the extra emissions trap heat, leading to a shift in temperature and weather patterns, known as global warming.
Large scale reforestation, especially with the creation of diverse ecosystems in mind, is a positive step that nations, organizations, and corporations can take to use plants to help us reduce pollution. As individuals, we can plant herbs, flowers, vegetables, even trees, in our communities and as personal landscaping to contribute to creating a natural balance and a cleaner planet.
