Can newspapers help reforest the planet? It seems more than a little ironic, but recent initiatives aim to do just that.
Each time an obituary is placed, some newspapers are committing to planting a complimentary tree in an area where forests have been depleted due to clear-cutting, human settlement or other factors.
The program has already been built into some obituary software systems like iPublish Media’s AdPortal obituaries. It compliments a Legacy program that allows additional mourners to donate to plant trees in honor of the deceased, directly from the obituary.
Newspapers who use the iPublish software receive collateral for families that show how a living memorial is created with their obituary.
Families can select where their tree is planted from a nationwide list of green spaces in need of reforestation and receive a downloadable certificate.
To support the program, newspapers charge a modest price increase.
It’s a positive cause; every 10 trees save 4,000 gallons of water, creates 5,000 liters of oxygen, and eliminates 25 tons of carbon dioxide.
In addition to lowering CO2 levels, forests impede erosions and provide a critical habitat for wildlife, a popular issue in environmentally sensitive states and areas devastated by wildfires.
“It’s a win all the way around,” said Brian Gorman, co-founder of iPublish, “and an opportunity for newspapers to get behind something positive this year.”
More than a million trees have been planted to date.