Don't get us wrong, we're hardly cynical about planting trees. It's never a bad idea for people, or corporations in this case, to plant more trees. Being as gentle to the environment as we can is important, and rejuvenating storm-damaged areas of woodland seems like an important cause. Companies take up causes all the time for one reason or another. Is this Porsche's attempt at green-washing their part in the NOX emissions 3-liter diesel scandal? Perhaps it is, but it's unlikely that the local people, who will experience an increase in clean water table yields, are going to care. No matter what your reason is for helping other people, maybe just help other people.
There is an unusual planting campaign going on in Germany on the boundary between Rutesheim and Weissach. The non-profit association Trinkwasserwald e.V. wants to promote deciduous woodland growth in an area that is largely composed of coniferous woods. Deciduous, it is said, can generate or retain an average of 800,000 liters more groundwater per hectare than forests composed only of coniferous trees. That isn't a one-time figure, either, that continues to be the case year after year for multiple generations of trees.
“The approach taken by Trinkwasserwald is fascinating because it is as simple as it is effective”, says Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG, “By having the drinking water forest in the immediate vicinity of our Development Centre, we are able to emphasize the commitment we have made to take responsibility for people, the environment, and society”.
Heiner Rupsch, President of Trinkwasserwald e.V., says of the partnership with Porsch, “[This is] a practical example of sustainability and illustrates that we can only make the world a better place by working together”.
Sure, maybe it's a PR move (of course it's a PR move), but it's a move in the right direction for Porsche. We can only hope that they continue to promote such ideas of sustainability not only locally but on a global scale.