Why the Second Best Time to Plant a Tree (or go Zero Waste) is Now

Most of us have probably heard the proverb: the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is now.🌳

But with the world's problems being so overwhelming, and with apparently ten years to solve climate change, would making changes now be too late?

Whether it be planting a tree, going zero waste, or really any other action that gets better with time, it’s always a great time to do the things that this world needs. Or that we ourselves need!

It’s never too late.💚

Because while things may be bad since we humans didn’t all act this way far sooner, things can get a heck of a lot better if we start today.

The world will always be better with more trees, more healthy people, and less waste.

All of the problems we see today were caused from actions taken (or not taken) in the past, so if we wish to see a better tomorrow, we must act today.

I know, it feels weird planting a tree when the world is on 🔥fire, or focusing on our own actions while the world’s issues seem to be only solvable through correcting others. But the quote is “be the change you want to see in the world” not “make sure everyone else is being the change that you want to see in the world.”

We may not be able to rest under the shade of the trees we plant, we may not see just how clean the oceans could be when all of us reduce our waste, but eventually, someone will.🙏🏼

At some point in time, the benefits will appear, and those in the future will thank you, even if they don’t quite know who to thank.

Because twenty or one hundred years ago, someone had the planet and future generations in mind. And we should thank them for the trees we have, for the ocean creatures that are here, the rivers, the mountains, all of it.

🌎There is beauty and hope in this world, which we can probably assume exists because someone protected or helped it along at some point. And probably not just someone, but many.

We can be that someone for the future. Heck...we can be that someone for right now. ⏱There are things we can do that will have rippling effects throughout the future, and also throughout the world today.

Someone may not really think the environment is their fight, but then they find out you use a reusable cotton swab, and it sparks their interest!

🤧Someone could spill something or have a runny nose, and you give them a reusable tissue that they would have never thought about using.

Someone could be walking down the street years after you’ve turned your front lawn into a wild space and think that they could maybe do the same. 

We have the power to change today, and we for sure have the power to help the future.

So plant those figurative or literal trees, and enjoy the shade from those who did the same years ago. 🌞