It is good to see today that trees have been brought into Westminster Abbey on the occasion of the wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton.
It may not have been intended to be so but it is nice to consider, through the presence of these trees, that nature was allowed to be a guest at the wedding. Trees are the most appropriate ambassadors of forests and wild nature. No matter how beautiful a display flowers don’t register such a strength.
The idea of the presence of large trees as representative of nature at similar joyful occasions might be considered by others planning such events in the future.
Governments too could be pressed to follow such an idea. They could be pressed to bring a large tree into their houses of assembly when they meet to discuss matters of state. The tree would remind all present that we are of nature and not set apart from it – and that decisions made by them can have ramifications in the natural world. World leaders who express their concerns for nature might wish to explore this idea. Such a representative from nature in their midst would help focus minds in policy matters that affect the environment.
Your comments would be appreciated.
You make an interesting point about the possibility of world leaders, who express their concerns for nature, might wish to explore the idea of bringing a large tree into their houses of assembly.
Unfortunately, looking back over 40 years of concern for tropical forests, I fear that gestures of this type will be taken up readily by politicians but they will not go beyond this to DO something for nature. The record speaks for itself – every year, for more than 15 years, the world has been losing 13 million ha of tropical forests. Yet, in this time, there has been no shortages of political gesturing!
Thanks Ray – it raises the issue of the need for all of us to get politicians to see nature as part of us and not an abstract thing out there.