AMLO is planting 1 billion trees to generate 1.4 million jobs, and stop migration while saving the planet

Mexico is implementing its version of the Green New Deal, a program that will ultimately result in the planting 1 billion trees, an outcome that will reduce CO2 levels below Mexico’s Paris Climate commitment of 2017 by 16 million tons from 54 Million ton commitment to 70 Million tons by 2030. As part of the bold, new plan, Mexico will phase out coal-fired plants and fully modernize and implement 60 hydroelectric plants and improve its Geothermal electric plants. Since 2019, Mexico’s Sambrando Vida (planting life) program has planted 700 million so far.

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MEXICO– Since 2019, Mexico’s first progressive president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, initiated an ambitious plan to develop Mexico’s agriculture, generate over a million jobs in the south-east of Mexico and central America to slowdown migration– all while the program is saving the planet.

Currently the program in Mexico generated 450 thousand jobs.

And despite skeptics and angry Spanish energy companies that hoped to obtain government contracts with Mexico– to continue installing expensive wind farms that Mexico cannot afford during the pandemic, in that the cost is passed on to the consumers; well, the man is really doing it, and AMLO is not alone, US President Joe Biden and the U.S. congress is about to join efforts by approving $4 billion in aid to expand the program.

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The program, Planting Life “Sembrando Vida,” is one of López Obrador’s star programs that, according to the Mexican government, is achieving the planting of 1,000 million fruit and timber trees that currently employ more than 420,000 Mexicans.

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“They [the United States] are looking for alternative options because migration is overwhelmed. Instead of stopping it with coercive measures, it is necessary to deal with it at the root of the problem, and do it in order it.” said AMLO.

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The President, Lopez Obrador, will also put the Planting Life program (Sembrando Vida) on the table at the Climate Summit on Thursday. López Obrador reiterated that he will continue talks with President Biden on how to go about expanding the already on-going program in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

The program in El Salvador was planted and solely funded by Mexico two years ago with positive results. AMLO said this week that the US $4 billion aid will help the agriculture and forestation program expansion, and will generate a total of 1.4 million jobs in Central America and, along with Mexico, it will result in the planting of 3 billion trees. The Mexican Green New Deal will also halt the need of people in those regions to migrate. President Lopez Obrador also proposed to President Biden an Agricultural, six-month work visa program for migrants.

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The president’s communications director, Jesus Ramirez, highlights in a tweet Mexico’s efforts and focus on climate change and migration, and invites the U.S. to join forces in the forestation program @SemVidaMx in central America “This will create 1.4 million jobs, rebuild the social fabric and reforest the region’s jungles. Mexico proposes cooperation and solidarity among our peoples.”

El @GobiernoMX en materia de cambio climático y migración propone a EU invertir en el programa @SemVidaMx en Centroamérica; así se crearán 1.4 millones de empleos, se reconstruye el tejido social y reforesta la selva. México propone la cooperación y la solidaridad entre pueblos. pic.twitter.com/HfrgRFR0dW

— Jesús Ramírez Cuevas (@JesusRCuevas) April 19, 2021

“Mexico’s Planting Life Program, Sembrando Vida, is one of Mexico’s widely popular farming and forestation programs, and the largest such program in the world. With a total of 1 billion trees planted and an investment of only 1.5 billion dollars, it is contributing greatly to atmospheric CO₂ reduction and Climate Change.” Says James Daly, PhD CUNY professor, and former atmospheric scientist at a U.S. National Lab.

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So far, the U.S. only invested $500 million dollars on forestation programs in its territory, no increase even after California lost 4 million access due to the constant fires.

La principal riqueza de una nación está en su población y sus culturas. Conferencia matutina. https://t.co/IzK8b5NTif

— Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) April 19, 2021

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NOTE: The president’s opposition and economic interest groups have been trying to sabotage the Planting Life Program by making false accusations that the program is causing deforestation. The campaign was initiated by a local non-profit with foreign funding and, so far, the only proof they have is an op-ed in Bloomberg News, which “also has a conflict of interest since Bloomberg investments help its clients to invest in subtracting Mexico resources.” says an expert.

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The Op-ed was debunked by the President at this press conference when AMLO responded to the Bloomberg reporter that the area the NGO claimed was a forest, there was no forest or trees at all.

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To further the fiasco, Mexicans mocked the one photo Bloomberg placed on its Op-ed as the alleged proof. The photo shows only about 10 feet of dry wood burning on the side of the road, and in no way could represent the 75 thousands hectares the organization claimed farmers burned.  >Read story