12-13-2006, 11:46 AM
Sustainability Land Use Subgroup – 12/13/06
Air quality is becoming the world’s number one health issue. Much is written about the rapidly increasing carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect. Nothing is written about how heavier carbon dioxide replaces available oxygen – the precious oxygen that sustains all life – no breath, no life.
The most important step to ensure a viable environment for our children’s children is immediately to plant trees, especially along all road easements and to restore our urban forests.
Roadways are our modern commons and we all move along them primarily by burning fossil fuel, a major contributor to deadly carbon buildup. Trees planted along highways in easements greatly reduce the carbon dioxide build up responsible for global warming. Trees are also the oxygen producers on the land. The air quality benefit of tree-lined road corridors extends far beyond open space, esthetics, economic assets as tourist attractions, soil stabilization, erosion prevention and sediment entrapment.
Trees growing closest to the road are greener and bigger because trees sequester carbon dioxide removing it from the air, absorbing extra CO2 from cars along with the sunlight the road clearing provides. This is particularly noticeable with Ohia trees. Cutting down trees for frivolous reasons must stop immediately. Life depends on it.
Puna's rainforest has been decimated in the past twenty-five years by private development, government agencies and ignorance. Particularly on this island, with the world's most active volcano pouring forth tons of volcanic carbon sediments daily, to continue these suicidal practices is criminal. Immediate action for urban reforestation, tree-lined road corridors and serious tree protection, on private and public lands, is essential.
Malama the Breath of Life – restore our urban forests now – this is our mandate.
Air quality is becoming the world’s number one health issue. Much is written about the rapidly increasing carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect. Nothing is written about how heavier carbon dioxide replaces available oxygen – the precious oxygen that sustains all life – no breath, no life.
The most important step to ensure a viable environment for our children’s children is immediately to plant trees, especially along all road easements and to restore our urban forests.
Roadways are our modern commons and we all move along them primarily by burning fossil fuel, a major contributor to deadly carbon buildup. Trees planted along highways in easements greatly reduce the carbon dioxide build up responsible for global warming. Trees are also the oxygen producers on the land. The air quality benefit of tree-lined road corridors extends far beyond open space, esthetics, economic assets as tourist attractions, soil stabilization, erosion prevention and sediment entrapment.
Trees growing closest to the road are greener and bigger because trees sequester carbon dioxide removing it from the air, absorbing extra CO2 from cars along with the sunlight the road clearing provides. This is particularly noticeable with Ohia trees. Cutting down trees for frivolous reasons must stop immediately. Life depends on it.
Puna's rainforest has been decimated in the past twenty-five years by private development, government agencies and ignorance. Particularly on this island, with the world's most active volcano pouring forth tons of volcanic carbon sediments daily, to continue these suicidal practices is criminal. Immediate action for urban reforestation, tree-lined road corridors and serious tree protection, on private and public lands, is essential.
Malama the Breath of Life – restore our urban forests now – this is our mandate.