The Tema Fuel Company (TFC) Limited, has planted 1,200 trees made up of ornamental and forestry trees as part of the Green Ghana Tree Planting Campaign being pursued by government.
The company planted 510 the trees at strategic locations including the Tema Senior High School.
The staff and management members of the company would also plant 100 trees at their various households, 50 trees at Chemu Senior High Technical School, 100 trees at the Tema General Hospital (TGH), 120 trees at Kpone Senior High School, 30 trees at Tema Sports Stadium, and 290 trees at the Tema Technical Institute.
Mr Samuel Kwabla Alorvor, Head of Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental Sustainability at TFC Limited, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview during the tree planting exercise that human activities had caused the depletion of the ozone layer, and as result, the rainfall patterns have changed, making the earth hot.
He said the depletion of the ozone layer had also led to reduced water supply and quality, the loss of iconic species and landscapes, distorted rhythms of nature, and the potential for extreme events to overwhelm the regulating services of ecosystems.
Mr Alorvor also noted that, “the global community is now experiencing more frequent and intense drought, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, and melting glaciers.
He said warming oceans could directly harm animals, destroy the places they live, and wreak havoc on people’s livelihoods and communities.
Therefore, the call to action through the Green Ghana campaign, which involves the planting of trees is a wake-up initiative to save the world and mankind, “everyone must join the initiative to save the world and humanity.”
He added that because there was a change in rainfall pattern, farmers are not able to produce more food as expected, which is creating food shortage, and price increment.
Mr Alorvor said the planting of trees must be backed with conscious efforts to stop the uncontrolled felling of trees and the destruction of the vegetation, “if as a nation, we plant more trees, it will give more oxygen in the environment to aid in the growth of humans and plants.”
He said Tema Fuel Company Limited has set up a monitoring team to ensure that the trees they plant survive, “we are not just planting but would deploy a team to regularly monitor the growth of the trees.”
Mr Nauen Naicker, Depot Manager of TFL, elaborated that the Green Ghana Project was a good initiative, stressing that since human activities take much from the environment it was best to give back to the environment and they were happy to be involved as a company.
Madam Patricia Annan-Quaye, Senior House Mistress Tema Senior High School advised teachers to teach students and individuals to keep the environment green.
As part of the initiative the management of TFC Limited supported each of the schools and Tema General Hospital with fuel supply worth GH¢2,000.00 as part of the voluntary works.
