Unpaving the planet

[Catherine]

I have been noticing articles about rewilding and returning things to a natural state.
The latest thing I have come across is a movement to remove unneeded concrete and paving. Too much of the earth has been sealed with concrete.
That is a dead area for the soil and it doesn't absorb water so it contributes to flooding. There are groups springing up all over the planet that are doing something about it. They dig up and remove concrete where they can. They plant that area with native plants. It then becomes life giving for the planet.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240...and-plants

The idea started with Depave,  a group in Portland, Oregon.  They have removed 33,000,sq miles of concrete. They are a non profit group and much work is done by volunteers. 
There is a group in Ontario called Green Venture.
There are groups in Europe working on this. England and Australia are moving in this direction.

This is a movement that is growing and spreading. It is the kind of grass roots movement that starts slowly and builds into something that changes the health of the planet. Most of us will never be able to do more than remove the concrete in our own immediate area, but if all of us do it, it will make difference.
Unpaved soil can absorb water. That is the start of flood control.  Unpaved soil can grow plants. Plants give off oxygen and provide food for wildlife.

We may be struggling with the effects of climate change and global warming, but we are not helpless. Rewilding projects are restoring life to many areas. Species are being returned to areas where they have been absent for years. Those areas are returning to health. Add unpaving to this and I see a strong movement toward restoring the planet. It is not going to happen fast, but there is change for the better. If each of us does what we can, I see a lot of hope for the future of our planet.