Mass tree planting is one of those moves that looks good, but science isn't sure if it actually does good... yet.
The jury may be out on the best and most effective way to go about re-forestation and tree planting, but environmentalists an scientists agree there is no doubt that some steps must be taken in that direction.
The Trump administration is posturing as if it's going to take those steps with the "United States One Trillion Trees Interagency Council," which Donald Trump signed an Executive Order establishing.
The council will act as the US branch of the One Trillion Trees initiative started by the World Economic Forum. One Trillion Trees has an overall aim to increase planting and re-forestation around the world.
According to the Executive Order, signed October 13, the US council:
"shall be charged with developing, coordinating, and promoting Federal Government interactions with the Initiative with respect to tree growing, restoration, and conservation, and with coordinating with key stakeholders to help advance the Initiative."
Ivanka bragged about how proud she was of this initiative.
That brag, unfortunately backfired. People were quick to hop into her comments and point out that there are more than a few problems here.
While the initiative seems like a great idea on the surface, the Executive Order itself hints at something else. We mentioned that the order was signed into effect just a few days ago; but a read through the order itself actually reveals that Trump initially announced that he would be joining the One Trillion Trees initiative in January. That was nine months ago.
The Executive Order also stipulates that the council is totally independent. It doesn't answer to the initiative created by the World Economic Forum. We do not know who, if anyone, the council will actually answer to or work with.
The order then goes on to establish who will chair the council.
"The Council shall be co-chaired by the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, or by their designees (Co-Chairs)."
The current Secretary of the Interior is David Bernhardt, who has been investigated for rolling back wildlife protections in order to benefit his former clients.
The current Secretary of Agriculture is Sonny Perdue, a former Georgia Governor who loves the Confederacy and has a history of enacting policies he personally benefits from.
The order rounds things out by declaring that the council will be dissolved in the year 2030.
And those are just the issues that come up from looking within the order itself. That's to say nothing of this President's history of rolling back environmental protections, actively damaging forests and other ecosystems in the process.
Overall, the whole thing has people like:
Suspicious Will Smith GIFGiphy
Ivanka bragging about how great it was probably didn't go the way she had planned. Sure, there were some comments that showed support for the initiative - or at least the idea of the initiative.
But for the most part, the brag invited people to voice their concerns - both on her tweet and the White House tweet that she shared.
Overall it looks like most of Twitter isn't convinced by this Executive Order - and isn't shy about letting Ivanka or her father know.
Based on the comments, the order likely would have seen more support had it been rolled out nine months ago when it was promised - not now just a few days before the election when polls show him falling behind. People also seem to be concerned with how performative the Order is considering all of the other environmentally damaging policies, who is at the helm, and that the order doesn't actually do anything except say that the council will be established.
We need real and meaningful environmental protections - but Trump's record speaks for itself there. It doesn't seem like this initiative has swayed many people's minds on that, even with Ivanka's support.
