ZCZC
BFF-02
DENMARK-ENVIRONMENT-TELEVISION-ENTERTAINMENT
Danes raise 2.4 mn euro in first climate telethon
COPENHAGEN, Sept 15, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Danes donated around 2.4 million euro
(o2.6 million) on Saturday for the planting of trees, in a telethon event
described as the world’s first to focus on the climate.
For every donation of 20 Danish kroner (about $3 or 2.7 euros), one tree
will be planted, and 20 percent of the funds raised will go to forest
conservation efforts in Denmark and abroad.
The objective of the event broadcast on public TV channel TV2 was to raise
20 million kroner in order to plant one million trees in the Scandinavian
country.
At the end of the televised event the funds raised were still a little shy
of the goal, but enough for the planting of 914,233 trees.
“It’s a positive way to inspire people, showing how to make a difference,
with a small act to tackle the climate crisis,” said Kim Nielsen, founder of
the Growing Trees Network Foundation, which is part of the project.
“It’s the first time a charity show has focussed on climate issues on TV,
it’s very exciting,” he told AFP.
According to a recent survey published by the European Commission 83
percent of Danes consider climate change to be a “very serious” problem.
Planting trees is one of the ways people can reduce the concentration of
CO2 in the atmosphere.
“One million trees it’s not a lot in a global perspective, but the idea is
to make people aware of what they can do,” Nielsen said.
The first trees are expected to be planted some time between late October
and late November in protected areas owned by certain municipalities, the
State or the Church in Denmark.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0831 hrs