The Not So Hidden Power of Trees
It rained for weeks in California this winter. Yes you read that right, weeks! After having the three driest years on record, the western US state has now increased their water supplies thanks to the storms and violent floods. It’s not just California. Everywhere people are talking about climate change. Why though? Ask anyone and they will tell you, the climate’s changing. The next question we need to ask though is, what can we do to help the environment? The answer is, somewhat simple, we should be planting more trees.
Trees are more than just beautiful to look at and great to hug, they play a critical role on Earth. They remove pollution from the atmosphere, improve our air quality, support our health and well-being. When you ‘re staring right at a tree, you can feel that they are so much more than just a tall piece of wood. A study from North Carolina State University found that one large tree can provide a full day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people. Trees can also help reduce noise levels, acting as a buffer so cars don’t sound so loud. The Arbor Day Foundation has a blog post on their website detailing design considerations for when you are placing tree buffers.
Every time we plant a tree, we are not just helping our homes, but also our communities and our environment. Heat maps indicate that in cities with one million or more people, temperatures can be 1.8 degrees to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheight warmer on average. This is called the urban heat island effect, which causes these highly populated cities to be 22 degrees hotter at night than surrounding areas. On hot days, the demand for cooling can cause power outages because the electricity grid is being heavily used, which also causes a hike in energy bills. Planting one tree can bring 3% energy savings for one household within 5 years and 12% within 15 years. The more trees planted, the more we see a decrease in energy consumption.
The fashion industry is starting to take more accountability for their impact on the environment. Studies have shown that fashion is the second most polluting industry, contributing 8-10% of all global carbon emissions and 20% of all global wastewater. Sustainable clothing brands like certified B-Corp’s Pangaia and Tentree are planting trees for every purchase you make. Pangaia has planted, protected and restored 1 million trees through their Tomorrow Tree Fund, which they launched at the end of 2020. Tentree plants ten trees for every item purchased. Why are these companies planting trees? To leave a positive environmental impact and stay aligned with their sustainable goals of curse.
The benefits of planting trees far outweighs the investment. Cleaner air, energy savings, reducing the effects of climate change and less stress are just a few of the benefits that trees provide us with. The bottom line is we need more trees, especially as global warming increases. So what can you do to help? Plant more trees. Volunteer with organizations actively working to restore forests and increase tree canopy in communities. Arbor Day Foundation has a community tree recovery program to help residents who lost trees in major disasters by giving them free trees to plant in their yards. If you want to start your own organization, there’s no better time than now if you’re in the US. The government announced $1 billion of grants available if you’re in an urban area looking to increase tree cover. If we all worked together to plant more trees, we can have cleaner air and happier cities.
Did you know that in NYC, you can ask the department of parks and recreation to plant a tree, for free, either on the sidewalk in front of a home, apartment building or business. Of course its New York City, so the demand is high but if you want to volunteer to help plant more trees, you have options. Head to the get involved page for a list of organizations planting trees.