Miquel Ramis: “Planting trees is pure gold: shade is created and the temperature is lowered”

PalmaWith the Balears Verd project, Miquel Ramis, a master stonemason, farmer, and building restorer, proposes planting a million trees and shrubs. Author of Regenerative Agriculture, he says that it is urgent to take action to mitigate climate change.

What will planting a million trees be useful for?

— The impact of climate change is now only denied by people who have lost their way or have specific interests. We must stop the consumption of land, save the green we have, and even increase it, or the consequences of not acting will be very harsh. Trees are the best weapon we have.

What do they contribute?

— Planting trees is pure gold: it creates shade and lowers the temperature. It is an essential treasure. The rise in temperatures causes all kinds of effects and, in urban areas, trees play a fundamental role in regulating temperature and sunlight. We need more vegetation on the streets, squares, and neighborhoods. When you walk through certain towns and neighborhoods of Palma during the summer months, you see that it is impracticable today. Why shouldn't we be able to enjoy these spaces?

What are the administrations doing in the Islands?

— In other cities and countries, they have taken the situation we are experiencing much more seriously. It is enough to see what is happening in Paris, where 154,000 trees have been planted in a few years. The city is leading the process of greening its neighborhoods. Here, sadly, decisive policies are not being implemented; in some cases, what is being done is cutting down specimens and not replacing them. As in so many other cases of positive policies, the administrations are always lagging behind; it is very difficult for them. Citizens, however, have the obligation to demand that they act and look to those who are doing it well and already have results.

Should it only be a public responsibility?

— No. I always speak of a collaboration between all sectors. There are companies that have started to take steps, but they are also very timid. We still see hotels planting grass, which seems incredible to me. We must promote Mediterranean plants with low water consumption, and trees that lower the temperature of buildings. We are talking about the fact that on a Mediterranean facade, a tree can lower the temperature by 4 or 5 degrees if it removes direct sunlight for a few hours. We have a lot at stake, and the time has come to get down to work.