This is one reason I appreciate trees, especially the big leafy ones. But there are in fact many others: Trees suck up carbon dioxide and other pollut

What American cities could do right now to save us from this unbearable heat

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2024-07-11 19:00:06

This is one reason I appreciate trees, especially the big leafy ones. But there are in fact many others: Trees suck up carbon dioxide and other pollutants, helping clean the air and offset planet-warming emissions. They not only block the sun, creating shade, but also pump water vapor out through their leaves, which cools the air. Their roots, meanwhile, help rainwater seep into the soil that might otherwise flood the streets.

This is not exactly a revelation, but it’s a point worth underscoring, as many neighborhoods — in New York, Phoenix, and elsewhere — don’t have enough of them. And these treeless city stretches are often disproportionately nonwhite and home to residents with less money. Planting more trees in these neighborhoods is about far more than aesthetics. It can literally help keep people alive.

How, though, does a place like NYC go about planting trees and filling these life-threatening gaps in tree cover? The trash-laden, concrete-covered blocks aren’t exactly ideal for growing. Then there’s climate change, which is raising temperatures and pushing more saltwater onto land, thus altering growing conditions.