1/2/2025
The second day of the new year is here, and before diving into today’s main topic, I’d like to share an interesting insight.
A study found that people who enjoy discussing and planning for the future tend to perform better academically, develop fewer bad habits, exercise more, save more money, and work harder. The young, the healthy, and the affluent are naturally more inclined to focus on the future, while the elderly, the unwell, and those who have once faced hardships often gravitate toward reflecting on the past.
The key point is: if significant change is inevitable in the future, our greatest strength lies in our ability to anticipate it positively. A forward-looking, optimistic mindset not only helps us meeting challenges but often leads to better outcomes.
Just as individuals can transform their lives with an optimistic outlook, nations can address environmental challenges through forward-thinking initiatives. One such effort is China’s Great Green Wall.
China has achieved an extraordinary environmental milestone with the completion of a 3,000-kilometer "green belt" encircling the Taklamakan Desert, the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert.
The United Nations has acknowledged China's "Great Green Wall" as a significant effort in combating desertification and promoting environmental restoration.
Launched in 1978, the program has planted more than 30 million hectares of trees, boosting China’s forest coverage from approximately 10% in 1949 to over 25% by the end of 2023.
Remarkably, China now plants over 2.5 billion trees annually and has added approximately 700,000 square kilometers of forest since the 1980s—an area equivalent to 5 New York States.
A 2019 NASA study underscored China’s environmental leadership, revealing that the country contributed roughly 25% of the global increase in green vegetation between 2000 and 2017, making China the largest single contributor to global greening during that period.
A Chinese saying describes this perfectly, "众志成城 (zhòng zhì chéng chéng), meaning: the collective will can build a strongest city. This saying speaks to the power of collective determination and effort for a greater good like building the Great Green Wall.
Finally, China’s monumental achievements not only benefit its ecosystem but serve as a global model for combating climate change and desertification. Just as individuals thrive when adopting a forward-looking, optimistic mindset to anticipate and embrace change, nations too can rise to meet challenges with collective determination and vision.
China’s Great Green Wall demonstrates how visionary leadership and sustained effort can transform even the most inhospitable landscapes. By planting billions of trees and restoring ecosystems, China provides lasting benefits for future generations—a shining example of how the power of collective will, as captured in the saying "众志成城", can build not only a strong city but a stronger, greener planet.
Way to go!