Prince Charles has always been a green man practicing what he preaches. He has been promoting environmental ideas for most of his adult life. The prince has replaced carbon-heavy private jets and helicopters with scheduled flights and train services. His Jaguar is adapted to run on biodiesel fuel. Residences such as Highgrove in Gloucestershire have switched to green electricity.
A few years back when he said he talks to plants at his country house, Highgrove, to stimulate their growth he was branded a crank. But the prince was not bothered about this criticism from unenlightened quarters.
The activism of the prince is not restricted to England alone. Wherever he travels he espouses the cause of conservation. The latest initiative has come during his tour of Indonesia.
He has now appealed to rich countries to pay an annual "utility bill" for the benefits accrued to the world from rainforests, benefits like the forests acting as air conditioner, storing of fresh water and providing work. Rainforest also play a great role in carbon sequestration. It was the developed nations that trigger rain forest destruction through a demand for products like beef, palm oil, soya and logs. So they have to start paying for it, just as we do for water, gas and electricity, the prince feels. The prince was speaking to the Indonesian President, Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and his cabinet in Jakarta. Earlier he had visited the Harapan Rainforest conservation project on the island of Sumatra.
The prince suggested that initially the funding could be provided by the private sector by subscribing to long-term bonds issued by an international agency.
This is a suggestion worth serious consideration by the international community. We salute you Prince Charles for your sagacity.
1 comment:
I also salute the prince
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