As we ring in 2011, the United Nations is inviting everyone to celebrate the International Year of Forests. The UN wants to raise awareness about the importance of forests on our planet and educate people about the issues facing our forests today. And, organizers hope the year-long tribute will inspire people to take action and contribute to forest preservation around the world.

 

According to the UN, forests cover 31% of total land area on the planet and account for 80% of our terrestrial biodiversity. They also provide a home for more than 300 million people worldwide. And, an incredible 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood–from making and trading important products to farming, and so on.

 

You can find a detailed list of events and celebrations taking place across the globe on the UN's website. One of the major events will be the International Forest Film Festival that takes place at UN headquarters in New York in February. The festival features a series of international films that address different themes, like 'Living Forests,' 'Issues & Solutions,' and 'This is My Forest.' You can check out some clips from the finalists here.

GLOBAL IDEAS will be attending the UN climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico. Starting November 28th Sabrina Weber and Ranty Islam of the GI-team will be keeping their ears to the ground. Their mission: to network with imaginative individuals and organizations who have ventured to Cancun to present innovative climate protection projects, share ideas – and make a difference in the fight against global warming. Some of our encounters will be featured on this blog. Watch this space.

For live coverage of the key developments at the Cancun talks and additional background reporting please take a look at our main news site DW-WORLD.de or tune in to DW-TV.