Total posts 10
Total comments 12
// March 10th, 2008
- I was told that in Singapore, the government decided to keep trees in urban areas because they calculated that one tree is worth two air-conditioners in terms of keeping people comfortable (not sure how they compared indoors vs out…). Cooling may not be a year-round issue for you in the UK, but I’m sure it makes a difference in the summer. Shi-Hsia Hwa, Penang, Malaysia
- I am also a tree lover, I feel they really add value to a street and/or house. Not only do they provide environmental benefits but they look good too. I have heard that our brain or senses development is affected by our environment and would not be surprised if looking at trees made us happier or even more intelligent (houses are easy for our brains to decypher the image, but trees much more random). Many people now seem to be obsessed with predictable lines, clean looks and pure finishes (houses, cars etc), but this is the opposite to nature and I’m sure cannot be good for our minds. I know what I prefer to look at. My flat overlooks an area of high priced houses with many trees around them, with a view over the top of the Belfast lough, I enjoyed it on daily basis. Unfortunately our nearest neighbours decided to remove 2 of the biggest oldest trees in the area, and now I am left staring at another neighbours house (around 30% of my view). Tony, Holywood, N. Ireland
- I battled this and lost against our councilman 3 yrs ago. He happened to have rented a space for his office on the Main St and ‘asked’ the parks dept if they could ‘move’ the tree (25 feet tall mind you!) as it was blocking his law business sign. They cut it down with no forewarning, after much protest, promised the neighborhood org. a new tree which never materialized and the councilman moved out a year later…. In Texas we need all the shade we can get with weeks over 40º.! Better save what you can now ready for a sunny day. daniel, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- I totally agree. I live on a terraced street that once had trees. Now there areas are bricked over and used to park motorbikes or put the week’s rubbish bags. I really feel like making a similar stand to my council (Northampton Town Council) but feel a tad powerless and a tad folly to expect anything to be done. Trees would vastly improve the run-down area I live in - once a proud industrial terraced street is now a gloomy, grey, dirty street. Footpaths and roads have not been relaid in decades so I believe this has a lot do with attitudes, respect, crime and even prosperity in the area. More trees are needed!! Dan, Northampton
- I love the big old street trees - the London Planes, horse chestnut and near to my house an ancient oak tree on the edge of the school playground. It would be an ecological disaster if the fear mongerers and insurance companies demand their removal. No birds, insects, bats, squirrels and no natural shade. All old trees need to be carefully managed and preserved, plus when needed a careful policy of replacement with similar long lived specimens to continue the natural life cycle. Trees are not just for life - they were there for your great great grandparents and will be there for your great great grand children Suzette keith, Barnet, London
- Vassili, I totally agree with you! At last a tree lover who feels the same way. In fact lots of people feel this way, but we don’t have much of a voice. Croydon is losing trees very fast, due to reasons you cite, plus urban vandalism. I also support IFAW. Best of luck to you. Susan Betts, Croydon, Greater London
- I agree with your writer. Trees do far more good than harm and we have a collective responsibility to conserve them. Life and the world around us would be a lot more unpleasant with trees. keith barrett, london
- I absolutely agree with Vassili - trees are an essential part of any city. One thing he failed to mention is the impact that they have on other aspects of the weather; living in such a wet and windy city as Edinburgh, it is striking how much worse the treeless areas are in high winds and heavy rain. Adrian Miller, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Chopping down a tree in an urban street can cause much more subsidence because it is no longer absorbing water, that water now goes to swell the subsoil causing ground heave and increases the flooding risk in the area. jon, Leics
- UK people seem keen to pay more in order to move to a ‘leafy’ area and then promptly concrete over the gardens in the name of convenience! mind you, when they try and sell the house they do buy a small pot to provide ‘kerb appeal’…but then forget to water it. johanna booth , liverpool,uk
“The benefits of urban trees….you have mentioned shade in the summer, mitigation of bad weather and flooding, amenity and beauty, wildlife and even house prices (yes evidence shows that leafy areas have a price premium of between 5 to 13%) so property developers hear this just buy a street plant some trees and wait to reap your rewards ! What other benefits are there to leafy streets?” has One Response
On May 1st, 2008 Susan Dinnes said:
When I first came to Bristol more than 20 years ago I felt that this was a city I could live in, purely because it seemed such a country city. This was because of the trees. It IS a beautiful city and if we want to keep it that way we must fight hard to keep the trees we have and make such more are planted on a regular basis. People should always challenge why trees are being removed and every time a mature tree is under threat investigate to see if it can be saved. No mature tree in the city should removed without an enquiry. Trees show the city dweller the changing of the season, sometimes the only glimpse of nature they have.
A report has just been published that shows that children living in tree lined streets in New York are less likely to have asthma. New York plans to plant a million trees by the year 2017. Trees will always add to the quality of life and generations to come will have a better life because we plant more now.