From the Gobi desert to the Pacific coast, Rotary clubs plant seeds for the future.

Sometimes global problems seem so, well, global, especially when it comes to the environment. It can get downright overwhelming when you're constantly bombarded with headlines that scream, "EU Warns of Global Climate Chaos" (The Guardian) and, "Pollution in China out of Control" (Edmonton Journal). And then there are all the alarming statistics: The World Bank projected that, on average, 1.8 million people would die each year between 2001 and 2020 because of air pollution.

In the contiguous United States, the past nine years have been among the 25 warmest on record, an unprecedented streak, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But Rotarians are not ones to sit idly by, no matter how daunting the task seems. Maybe that's because they know a secret: Just as tossing a tiny pebble can cause a ripple across an entire pond, the smallest project can have profound global effects. Good ideas, after all, are contagious, especially if you're part of a worldwide network.

Take the Rotary International Preserve Planet Earth focus. It was launched by Past RI President Paulo V.C. Costa in 1990. That year, about 2,000 club projects aimed at protecting the environment began. Today, Rotary clubs around the world are doing everything from promoting alternative energy practices to planting trees.

Here are some ideas from a few that have been successful, just in case your club catches the "go-green" bug.

Korean Rotarians plant trees to stop desertification
California Rotarians promote alternative-energy solar ovens
Washington Rotarians restore coastal habitat
Rotarians in Mexico and Texas team up to open a computer lab in the El Paso Zoo
New Zealand Rotarians trust in Trees for Survival

Korean Rotarians plant trees to stop desertification

"Who else but Rotarians would attempt a feat like turning the Gobi desert green?" asks Sangkoo Yun, past governor of District 3650 (Korea). But that's exactly what Korean Rotarians are aiming for with Keep Mongolia Green, a Centennial Community Project that continues to grow. To prevent desertification of parts of Mongolia, Rotarians have planted more than 100,000 locally grown trees to form a windbreak forest.

Rotarians and Rotaractors from all 17 Korean districts traveled to the middle of the Gobi desert to build the windbreak, which covers 196 acres of desolate land. Rotarians also established two tree nurseries, dug and refurbished wells, and built 8 miles of fencing. A US$150,000 Matching Grant from The Rotary Foundation, $10,000 from each of the Korean districts, and $50,000 from the Mongolian government helped finance the project.

Mongolian Rotarians also helped with the planting, and some made individual donations.

Since the project began, administrators at the Korean Forestry Agency were so impressed by its success in the South Gobi region that they agreed to help plant trees in Mongolia for the next 10 years.

"For the local residents in South Gobi, [the windbreak forest] could mean the survival of their motherland," says Yun. "My dream is someday soon, the children of South Gobi will look after these trees as their personal tree of hope and will plant more trees as their hopes grow." Contact Past District Governor Sangkoo Yun at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .