The Chinese Medicine Forestry Trust – Healing the World One Tree at a Time
No one can be in any doubt any longer that our precious planet, or rather the rich, complex, self-evolved plant and animal life that lives on it, is under grave and imminent threat. We are told that we have only 12 years left to prevent catastrophic climate change, and not much longer to prevent the annihilation of the insect life and soil health upon which our food supply depends.
Homo sapiens is being called on, for the first time in our evolutionary history, to act as a single and united species, since no nation alone, no fragmented and isolationist group, can hope to solve these problems. If there is to be a solution, it has to be a cooperative global one – a complete political, economic and agricultural revolution.
Yet at the same time, change also depends our own, small individual actions – the lifestyle changes we are able to make, our buying habits, the political movements we support and speak up for.
Our Responsibility (and Opportunity)
While every branch of society is called on to act, the responsibility lies more firmly on us, since medicine has always been at the forefront of caring for community and public health. The Lancet medical journal, for example, has inspiringly led the way for several years now, regularly publishing articles on the impact of climate change. Its 2015 joint report with University College London declared that climate change threatens to undermine the past 50 years of progress in global health, and warned of "very serious and potentially catastrophic effects for human health and human survival."
I would argue that those of us who work with Chinese medicine have an even greater responsibility to speak out and to act. The roots of our medicine lie deep within the natural world: the cyclic interplay of yin and yang through the four seasons and the 24 hours of the day; the resonances of the five phases with season, plant and animal life; the use of roots, seeds and flowers in our medicine; the microcosmic-macrocosmic mirroring of the natural world to describe the body's internal environment; the inspiration drawn from wild animals in the qigong and martial self-cultivation traditions.
And given that Daoism is one of our major influences, it is good to be reminded of its respect for nature, exemplified by the 4th century One Hundred and Eight Precepts of Lord Lao, which included, "You should not wantonly fell trees. You should not wantonly pick herbs and flowers. You should not throw poisonous substances into lakes, rivers, and seas. You should not dry up wet marshes. You should not disturb birds and other animals."
Holding firm to our love of the natural world, our profession can help lead the way – making sure that our conferences and meetings, colleges and suppliers embrace sustainability; encouraging our professional organizations to lend support to campaigns for meaningful action; teaching those who will listen how real the threats are to our health and very survival; and making whatever small changes we can in our personal and working lives.
The Chinese Medicine Forestry Trust
Like many of us, I have been confused about what I can best do in response to the dismay I have been feeling. I finally decided to help plant as many trees as possible. Like many of us I love trees and feel a deep connection to them. Trees are the most efficient absorbers of atmospheric carbon to counter climate change; they clean the air and give forth live giving oxygen; they feed and house myriads of creatures; they absorb water and hold the soil to prevent floods and erosion. And there is overwhelming evidence that being amidst – or even just looking at – trees positively supports our mental and physical health.
So, with colleagues, I have set up the Chinese Medicine Forestry Trust charity. We are calling on the worldwide Chinese medicine community – practitioners, students, patients, schools, businesses, and professional organizations – to donate to the trust. Every penny is channeled into three existing tree-planting / forest-protecting global organizations. Please join us and support the natural world – one tree at a time.
Editor's Note: To learn more about and support the Chinese Medicine Forestry Trust, visit https://tcmft.ctdonate.org.
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