菲律宾新法案：想毕业，先种树

6月5日是世界环境日，每年的这一天世界各地都会举办各种活动来提高人们的环保意识。但是，喊一百句环保口号都不如实实在在地种一棵树。菲律宾近日通过了一项法案，要求每个学生在毕业前种10棵树，亲自动手来改善生态环境。

Environmental issues are at the forefront of many people’s minds, but it’s the younger generation who is particularly concerned about the future of our planet.

虽然环境问题是许多人最关心的问题，但是年轻一代人尤其关注地球的未来。

From global school strikes for climate change action to amazing teen activists, kids are now having to take it into their own hands to ensure they will grow up in a sustainable world.

从针对气候变化的全球学校罢课行动，到一些令人惊叹的青少年活动家，孩子们现在不得不开始自己动手，以确保他们在可持续的世界中成长。

In an effort to foster this love and care for the earth, a new bill has been passed in the Philippines that requires students to plant 10 trees each before graduating.

为了培养孩子们对地球的关爱与呵护，菲律宾近日通过了一项新法案，要求每个学生在毕业前都种植10棵树。

The Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act was introduced by congressman Gary Alejano in 2016 in a bid to promote “inter-generational responsibility” for the environment. On May 15, 2019 it was officially passed, marking a huge step in the right direction towards a healthy planet.

2016年，国会议员盖瑞·亚历哈诺提出了《毕业回馈环境法》这一法案，旨在提高人们对环境的“代际责任”意识。该法案于2019年5月15日正式通过，标志着人类朝着通往健康地球的正确方向迈出了一大步。

"While we recognize the right of the youth to a balanced and healthy ecology… there is no reason why they cannot be made to contribute in order to ensure that this will be an actual reality,” Gary Alejano commented on the bill.

盖瑞·亚历哈诺对该法案评论道：“虽然我们意识到青年人有权拥有平衡健康的生态环境……但没有理由不让他们为此做出贡献，以确保其实现。”

The Philippines has lost more than 30% of its forest cover due to illegal logging, but the new bill means that the younger generation can help to reverse the issue. Under the new initiative, 175 million new trees could be planted by students each year. If only 10% of them survive, that means that 525 billion trees could flourish over the course of one generation.

由于非法采伐，菲律宾已经失去了超过30%的森林覆盖面积，但这项新法案意味着年轻一代可以帮忙扭转这一现状。在这项新法案下，学生每年可以种植1.75亿棵新树。即便只有10%的树苗存活下来，这也意味着每一代人都可以种出5250亿棵欣欣向荣的树木。

logging['lɔɡɪŋ]: n. 伐木工作

According to the details outlined in the bill, the rule applies to all students in order to graduate primary school, high school, and college. Trees can be planted in either forests, mangroves, reserves, urban areas, abandoned mining sites, or in indigenous territory.

根据该法案中所概述的细节，该法规适用于所有想要毕业的学生，包括小学生、中学生和大学生。而树木可以种植于森林、红树林、保护区、城区、废弃矿区或原住民地区。

mangrove['mæŋɡrov]: n. 红树林

indigenous[ɪn'dɪdʒənəs]: adj. 本土的；土著的

In fact, this isn’t the only positive initiative that involves the younger generation.

事实上，这并不是唯一一个让年轻一代人参与的积极举措。

One school in India made its students pay their “school fees” by collecting, bringing to school, and recycling plastic waste that was lying across the town. This type of initiative helped raise awareness about plastic waste in Asian countries. It also allowed more students to seek education and even helped the students to earn some money by recycling the plastic so they wouldn’t have to resort to child labor in order to survive.

在印度，有一所学校让学生收集整个镇上的塑料垃圾带到学校来支付“学费”并回收利用。这一举措不但有助于提高亚洲国家对塑料垃圾的重视，而且还可以帮助更多的学生获得教育机会，甚至还能帮助一些学生通过回收塑料赚取一些生活费，以便他们不必为了生计而去当童工。