The Green Solution: Why Using a Local Tree Service is Better for the Environment

Trees offer one of the most cost-effective and effective solutions to climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping cities reduce air pollution. In fact, trees in America alone can sequester up to 22.8 million tons of carbon dioxide annually (Nowak & Crane, 2002).

Health Benefits:

Trees offer shade and help to cool the atmosphere by absorbing and releasing air during hot periods of day. This can significantly reduce energy use and cooling costs, particularly for buildings exposed to intense sunlight throughout the day.

Mental Well-Being:

Studies have demonstrated that living in a forest-like setting promotes mental health and reduces stress, depression, anxiety and anger. Furthermore, tree-lined streets have been found to enhance residents’ social interactions and sense of place within neighborhoods.

Economic Benefits:

Trees and urban green spaces have many economic advantages, from improving property values to supporting local businesses and tourism. Furthermore, trees encourage residents to use public transit, reduce their car’s carbon footprint, and visit nearby shops and merchants. Elliott City Tree Service

Enhanced Safety:

Tree-lined streets provide a secure space for children and adults to walk, ride bicycles, skateboard, and play. Not only do these trees offer recreational benefits like shade and socializing with others, but they can also deter crime by blocking traffic and creating a visual barrier against criminals.

Cognitive Development:

Trees can enhance cognitive skills of individuals and communities, particularly young children with low education levels or limited English language abilities. This could reduce a city’s high teen dropout rate as well as increase adults’ capacity to learn new abilities.

Economy:

Tree-lined neighborhoods have been shown to have a positive effect on cities’ economies, creating jobs and increasing tax revenue. For instance, fruit harvested from community orchards can be sold and used as income for the local community (Nesbitt, Hotte, Barron, Cowan & Sheppard, 2017).

Particulate Matter Pollution:

Street trees are an invaluable source of clean air in cities. They filter out ozone and other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ammonia – with one acre in America alone being able to filter enough oxygen for 18 people!

Weather:

In recent decades, climate in the United States has become increasingly hotter and drier. Trees can help mitigate this trend by intercepting heat-trapping sunlight during intense periods of day. This prevents buildings from heating up too quickly, thus saving energy needed to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures (Patz, Campbell-Lendrum, Holloway & Foley, 2005).

San Francisco’s urban forest is relatively small in comparison to other major U.S. cities, and it’s declining; with thousands of potential street tree planting spaces remaining vacant and tree removals outpacing new plantings.