Not long ago, a section of the Chengdu viaduct was swept all over the Internet, and even Zhao Lijian, the spokesman at that time, came to praise it. ** In the middle, the green creeper slopes down from the edge of the viaduct, as if a huge green waterfall dotted the cold bridge body, which is a unique view.
Chengdu netizens who surfed 5G have confirmed, "This bridge is real" and "Qualification!" It's true! ”。In fact, the creeper is just one of the many green belt plants in our country. In addition, cedar, camphor, ligustrum, magnolia, canna, oleander, etc., due to the differences in the environment of each plant, they are widely distributed in different green belts in China.
In China, green belts can be said to be everywhere, but if we turn our attention to Europe on the other side of the continent. As the "origin" of the concept of environmental protection, it is difficult to find a trace of green belts in European cities. Is it that Europe does not need it?
In fact, why can green belts be seen everywhere in China, but rarely seen in Europe, which attaches great importance to environmental protection? To solve this problem, we might as well start with the role of green belts.
First of all, the green belt has a strong role in absorbing dust and dust. This is because the surface of the plant is generally evenly hairy and uneven, and the leaves secrete oil or sticky substances. Such a structure allows the dust generated around the green plants to adhere to and even absorb.
It has been reported that pine trees, coniferous plants with poor adsorption capacity, can absorb 36 tons of dust per hectare of pine forest. In addition to absorbing suspended particulate matter, vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen through photosynthesis. This is also a great contribution to the control of greenhouse gases.
In addition, the green belts installed on both sides of the motorway can absorb the scattering of high-frequency noise through leaves and tree trunks, which can also effectively isolate the noise generated by vehicles and reduce the impact on the surrounding residents.
Of course, the setting of green belts also has a more intuitive benefit, that is, beautifying the urban environment. Visually, the color, texture and brightness of green plants can make people feel calm and tranquil, and in some ways, can also reduce traffic accidents caused by "road rage".
At the same time, green belts can effectively alleviate visual fatigue, which is especially evident on highways. Not only can fatigue be alleviated, but when driving at night, the green belt is well insulated from the impact of the high beams of the oncoming vehicle on the driver, which also reduces the probability of accidents on the road.
Seeing this, perhaps the officials are even more puzzled - since there are so many benefits to setting up green belts. Why doesn't Europe, which has always been known for its focus on environmental protection, set up green belts? The reason for this is that we have to go back to the 60s of the 19th century, and perhaps we can analyze some deeper reasons.
As early as the beginning of the first industrial revolution, the major urban facilities of major European cities began to take shape. The goods produced in each city are different, and the demand for closer transactions has gradually formed. Productivity gains will amplify these demands.
With the passage of time, people gradually had the concept of transportation, but at this time, the later urban planning had not yet formed a systematic discipline, but the need to build roads became more and more urgent. Therefore, according to the mainstream mode of transportation of people at that time, the roads built were mainly pedestrian and horse-drawn carriage walkways.
Who would have imagined that 20 years later, the first automobile in human history would be born, and that the car would become the main mode of transportation on the roads of cities? Therefore, the lack of systematic urban planning and the high awareness of the protection of cultural relics and ancient books in Europe have become one of the main reasons why there are few green belts in Europe.
However, in addition to historical reasons, the nature of land in European countries also determines that the establishment of green belts is not an easy municipal construction. Unlike China, most countries in Europe have land owned by individuals, and if roads are occupied to build green belts, the time and cost involved in negotiations, transactions and declarations are prohibitive.
Another important reason for the lack of green belts in Europe is the high cost of labor. After all, the green belt is not a one-time investment, and the subsequent pruning and maintenance will also cost a huge amount. For example, watering plants, removing insects, pruning branches and leaves, clearing fallen leaves, fertilizing, replenishing plants, and so on.
According to incomplete statistics, the shrub green belt in China needs to use nearly 5 yuan per square meter per year, and the lowest labor cost in Europe is 5 times that of China, about 35 euros per hour. In a series of high-pressure environments such as energy and policy, Europe's finances, which are not "rich", will probably not spend for the green belt.
Of course, there are no green belts, but European countries have taken a different approach. In order to improve the urban environment, they also set up some street parks in various communities. This also makes up for the lack of urban greening from a certain perspective.
So, in fact, it is not that Europe does not use green belts, but that their urban greening is difficult to exist in the form of green spaces. Of course, it may not be easy to say whether it is better to have a street garden or a green belt, after all, they are both products of urban planning.
Whether it is the street garden in Europe or the green belt in China, we cannot use the existence of the two to describe which is better or worse. For European countries, which claim to be environmentally friendly, the "gap" between them and us is far more than just the green belt.
In fact, China has been subjected to unwarranted abuse from Western societies for a long time. Especially on the issue of environmental protection, such as BBC, CNN and the like have done their best to spread rumors, slandering how Chinese eating meat, eggs, milk and seafood have had a huge impact on the environment, and how the international community should restrict the dietary structure of Chinese.
Is that really the case? Of course not, these "fake" rumors have always accompanied China's economic and social development, and they have never stopped. When the Western powers stepped on the flesh and blood of our ancestors, the pollution caused by burning non-renewable energy was ten million times greater than that of today. Otherwise, London, England would not like to mention the name of "fog capital". Until now, the per capita carbon emissions of the United States and the West are still the highest in the world.
What about China? In fact, the development of our country has always been accompanied by a reflection on the protection of the environment. The phrase "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" means that we have always attached great importance to the environment. In September 2020, China put forward the "dual carbon" goal at the United Nations General Assembly, that is, to "peak carbon emissions" in 2030 and strive to achieve "carbon neutrality" in 2060.
Carbon neutrality" is also a solemn commitment to the world environment. Our country is vast, from west to east and from south to north, and every terrain carries the story of governance. For example, the comprehensive treatment rate of the Mu Us Desert has exceeded 80%, and the "miracle" of turning the desert into an oasis was created by contemporary Chinese. Every Chinese is also doing their best to care about environmental protection, remember the shuttle tree in our mobile phones?
On the other hand, the United States and the West have maliciously slandered developing countries again and again for their environmental protection, sending garbage that is not treated and sorted at all in their own country to the coastlines of other countries in containers, and pushing minors such as "environmental protection girls" to block guns again and again. They are the ones who have done the most harm to the planet, and they are the ones who have thrown this black pot at China.
True environmental protection, with wordless efforts to turn the desert into an oasis, earnestly develop clean energy, with the same spirit as Yugong ancestors to provoke the burden of environmental protection. Fake environmental protection, empty words, can never be implemented, can only be brushed through the accusations of others.
Some people say that the goal of human beings is the sea of stars, and this sentence itself is certainly true. However, some countries have looked up to the moon and begun to talk about the development of Mars, and their ambitions have even spread beyond the Milky Way and the entire universe. But they never look at the land under their feet, and they don't care if the desert grows bigger, or how the rainforest grows.
But the Chinese are not like this, and our love for this land is deeply rooted in our bones and blood. Of course, we have to look at the stars and the sea, but at the same time, we will also protect every field, every inch of mountains, and every river under our feet.
Green belts are only a very small part of China's environmental protection efforts. But the green belt can also be used as a microcosm of our environmental protection cause, and we will pass on the green little by little to our children and grandchildren with the spirit of Yugong.