Hug a Tree - Save a Life!

I never before knew the full value of trees. Under them I breakfast, dine, write, read and receive my company.” -Thomas Jefferson

“Every standing oak is an example of a nut who stood his ground” – unknown

"The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is trouble in the forest, And the creatures all have fled, As the maples scream "Oppression!"And the oaks just shake their heads - Rush, The Trees - Farewell to Kings

In light of recent developments where my favorite pro-casino bus driver equated saving trees with destroying lives, I thought I would take the time to point out how trees actually save us, not destroy us. Honestly now, for the life of me I cannot even begin to fathom how anyone could think that protecting and presevering our forests could ever destroy a life. A mega resort casino ….ummmmm…..yeah, I can see that destroying plenty of lives - along with a host of other things…but a tree?…please!

Trees enhance our lives and we would all do ourselves well to recognize and take advantage of, instead of taking for granted, the benefits of trees. Studies prove that trees have a positive effect on many aspects of people’s lives, including their health, homes, businesses, communities, drinking water and air quality. – source USDA.

Wow…but doesn’t that USDA list look strikingly like the list of negative impacts a mega resort casino will bring to this region!

I Speak For The Trees For The Trees Have No Tongues

Trees are the longest living organism on the planet, and if you think about it, trees are literally the lungs of the planet. The difference is, they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen while we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. They are an indicator of a community’s ecological health and provide valuable environmental benefits such as stormwater run-off reduction, greater groundwater recharge, better air and water quality and energy reduction.

The story The Lorax by Dr. Seuss that I posted on my previous blog, tells the tale of the impact trees have on our environment. In this story, the disappearance of trees results in dire environmental consequences. At the onset of the story the landscape is beautiful and lush with forests, clean water, and a stable home for wildlife. As the tale progresses and trees are cut down, the environment starts to sour. Animals flee the area for lack of food and shelter, the air becomes dark and dirty, and the water supply grows stagnant and murky. It is only the hope is of “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not”.

Dr. Seuss wrote "The Lorax" in 1971 because in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s pollution was pretty bad in the U.S. and the idea of out of sight out of mind began to creep up on the world and the environment. In the movie "The Lorax", a humming fish said "I here things are just as dreary down in Lake Erie" most likely because at the time Lake Erie was almost impossible for fish to live in.

The reason Dr. Seuss wrote this book was because he wanted to show the harmful effects of pollution and the environmental issues that we, as humans, are now responsible for. Like the story, so too could our regional environment and quality of life suffer with the building of a mega resort casino in Middleboro unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Why should you care….I mean, it’s only a few hundred acres of trees, right?.. jeez, it’s not like they’re cutting down the Rain Forests or anything…its just a resort casino.....

The very air we breathe is improved by the presence of trees. In order to feed themselves, trees absorb harmful greenhouse gases and in turn give off oxygen. They also filter and trap pollutants such as smoke, dust, and ash making our air cleaner.

Where our water is concerned, trees not only absorb water - preventing flooding, but also help disperse rainfall over a more even area. By retaining water, trees help reduce the amount of topsoil the runs off into our sewers and streams. Fallen leaves help keep moisture close to the ground which in turn promotes new growth and traps pollutants, keeping them out of our wetlands, river, lakes and streams.

Did you know that the trees planted around our homes can help reduce heating and cooling costs? Trees planted on the west and east side of your home block the sun and have a refrigerating effect on our homes in the summer while during the winter months, trees can keep us warmer by shielding us from wind and snow.

And since it’s really not just about Middleboro or the casino investors, let’s look at this at a grander scale….trees maintain our global environment in ways that we are just beginning to understand. By acting as enormous carbon sinks, trees absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. If trees did not perform this vital function, we would have limited means to mitigate the effects of global warming caused by the greenhouse effect.

Oh, but let’s not forget about our furry little friends the Bar-ba-loots who rely on trees for survival. I mean, trees not only benefit our physical environment, but also benefit a whole host of critters. Trees attract birds and other wildlife, making our region a much more pleasant and enriching place to live. I cannot even imagine the eerie silence that would befall our region if the song of birds were entirely absent – or drowned out by the traffic noise….

Here are some examples of why we need to be more concerned about preserving our regions forests and open spaces, and less concerned about how we can go about bulldozing them down to build a mega resort casino under the false guise of “job creation and economic growth”. Please note that all information was taken from the United State Department of Agriculture website.

Trees Have Environmental Benefits
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is one of the major contributing elements to the greenhouse effect. Trees trap CO2 and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and make carbohydrates that are used for plant growth and give us oxygen in return. One acre of trees can absorb up to 6 tons of carbon dioxide per year and return to the atmosphere, 260 pounds of oxygen per year.

A mature tree can absorb roughly 48 pounds of CO2 a year. The tree in turn releases enough oxygen to sustain two human beings.

Modest increases of 10% canopy cover in the New York City area has shown to reduce peak ozone levels by up to 4 parts per billion or by nearly 3% of the maximum and 37% of the amount by which the area exceeded its air quality standard. Similar results were found along the East Coast from Baltimore to Boston.

The leafy tree canopies catch precipitation before it reaches the ground, allowing it to gently drip and the rest to evaporate. This catching of precipitation lessens the force of storms and reduces runoff and erosion allowing for greater groundwater recharge and cleaner water. Research indicates that 100 mature tree crowns intercept approximately 100,000 gallons of rainfall per year, reducing runoff and providing cleaner water and a typical community forest – such as the proposed site for the mega resort casino – will retain approximately 10 million gallon of rainwater per year.

Trees reduce noise pollution by absorbing sound. A belt of trees 98 feet wide and 49 feet tall can reduce highway noise by 6 to 10 decibels. That’s good news for those folks who have houses next to route 44.

Trees Have Economic Contributions
Research shows that shoppers in well-landscaped business districts are willing to pay more for parking and up to 12% more for goods and service. I am wondering if the the casino will have an indoor arboretum in its shopping monstrosity. Perhaps…

Landscaping, especially with trees, can significantly increase property values. A value of 9% was determined in a US Tax Court case for the loss of a large black oak on a property valued at $164,000. Check this out:

"In one study, 83% of realtors believe that mature trees have a "strong or moderate impact" on the salability of homes listed for under $150,000; on homes over $250,000, this perception increases to 98%." —Arbor National Mortgage & American Forests

"Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent.

- Management Information Services/ICMA

A survey was done on office workers, some who had views of nature and some who did not have views of nature. When asked about 11 different ailments, those without views of nature claimed 23% more incidents of illness in the prior six months. Do casinos even have windows?

Amenity and comfort ratings were about 80% higher for a tree-lined sidewalk compared with those for a non-shaded street. Quality of products ratings were 30% higher in districts having trees over those with barren sidewalks. Gosh, perhaps Middleboro should take some of that $ 250,000 of mitigation money and plant a whole bunch of trees in the downtown area…seriously!

"Trees can be a stimulus to economic development, attracting new business and tourism. Commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, apartments rent more quickly, tenants stay longer, and space in a wooded setting is more valuable to sell or rent. - The Arbor Day Foundation

Trees Provide Energy Savings

"If you plant a tree today on the west side of your home, in 5 years your energy bills should be 3% less. In 15 years the savings will be nearly 12%." - Dr. E. Greg McPherson, Center for Urban Forest Research

Fifty million shade trees planted in strategic, energy saving locations could eliminate the need for seven 100-megawattt power plants, which in turn would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How much energy will the casino resort use?? Oh, that’s right….we don’t know.

The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. How many HVAC units will be needed for the casino resort? …I sure as heck don’t know, but I am sure it will be a whole bunch more than 10 room-size air conditioners…

And for you homeowners….The shade from two large trees on the west side of a house and one on the east side can save up to 30% of a typical resident’s annual air conditioning costs in the summer. Also, rows of trees can reduce wind-speed approximately 85%, with maximum reductions increasing in proportion to visual density. This means that compared to an open area, a good windbreak that does not shade the house will save about 15% of the energy used in a typical home.

Trees Provide Social Contributions
Trees add beauty to our environment and also contribute to our health and well being by cleansing the air we breathe and the water we drink. Mega resort casinos are not beautiful and do not contribute to our health and well being, nor do they cleanse the air we breathe or the water we drink…this one casino will however, pumps tons and tons of CO2 into the air and most likely affect the quality of our water.

It has also been shown that views of nature reduce the stress response of both the body and the mind. One study showed that hospital patients recovering from surgery who had a view of a grove a trees through their windows required fewer pain relievers, experienced fewer complications, and left the hospital sooner than similar patients who had view of a brick wall.

Studies also show that drivers exposed to roadside nature scenes have a greater ability to cope with driving stressors. Yes, that beautiful tree lined stretch of route 44 actually reduces stress….

Another study shows that symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children are relieved after contact with nature. Specifically the study shows that ADHD kids are better able to concentrate and complete tasks and follow directions after playing in natural settings. The greener the setting, the more relief. – Source: Taylor, A.F.; Kuo, F.,; Sullivan, W. 2001. Coping with ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings. Environment and Behavior.

Other studies indicate that trees help girls succeed. According to a 2002 article published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, on average, the greener a girl’s view from home, the better she concentrates and the better her self-discipline, enabling her to make more thoughtful choices and do better in school. Gosh, I suddenly really appreciate all those trees I could see from my bedroom window growing up…

Trees also reduce crime. According to a 2001 study published in Environment and Behavior, apartment buildings with high levels of greenery had 52% fewer crimes than those without any trees. Buildings with medium amounts of greenery had 42% fewer crimes. Jeeeez, and here the Middleboro BOS and the casino investors want to bulldoze acres and acres of trees to introduce an industry into the area that is known to increase crime.

Trees Provide Nourishment

Apple, pear, and hazel nut trees are just a few examples of trees that provide us with nourishment. Okay....I understand that the trees at the proposed casino site aren’t necessarily a source of food to us, per se, but they are a source of nourishment for much of our residing wildlife. Take a second to think about how bare the produce section of our local supermarkets would be if there were no trees on the planet. For most of us, the fruit of trees provide pleasurable tastes as well as much needed vitamins, but for others trees provide life itself.

In addition to food, trees are also a well known source of medicine for many of us. The ginko tree dates back more than 300 million years and it is the oldest know species of tree to date. Ginkgo leaf extract is used as a treatment for a wide range of aliments such as depression and Alzheimer’s Disease. Asprin is derived from compound called salicin found in willow plants, and to this day, provide millions of people with pain relief.

So…..what exactly are the environmental benefits from building a mega resort casino? I can honestly say that I can’t think of any. Some pro-casino constituents will tout that the Tribe plans to use green building technology….well, that is all fine and dandy but green building does not negate the negative impacts that will be incurred by this entire region if this resort casino is allowed to be built. Aside from the water issues, the destruction of large parcels of forested land will greatly affect our air quality.

All That Smog You've Smogged-Up Around Here

"One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people." - U.S. Department of Agriculture

When you factor in the potential scale of this project - by which I really mean - make an educated guess based on the size of the Connecticut casinos, you are looking at bulldozing well over 150 acres of woodland….that is equivalent to approximately 900 Tons of CO2 not being absorbed by trees and instead going directly to our atmosphere.

Now factor in CO2 emissions from the casino operations and vehicles coming to and from the casino and you should be concerned about our air quality…..using data from a presentation given by the Connecticut DEP and United Technologies Corporation, it was reported that an average of 12 million vehicles travel to the resort every year with an estimated emissions of greenhouse gases at 9600 tons per year, from cars alone. Yuck! If you read the presentation, it does show initiatives taken to reduce energy and green house gases, but has no information on actual utility usage for either casino. It does mention energy savings, but does not mention how much the casinos are actually using. What are the emissions from the Connectitcut casino operations? I don’t know…I couldn’t find that information, but I can tell you that any business will have greenhouse gas emissions from normal day to day operations – running boilers, emergency generators, heating, and electricity for lights and air conditioning and casinos sure do have a lot of boilers, HVAC units and lights running 24/7…

I am not sure of the actual acerage of land to be cleared for this project, nor am I truly sure of the negative effects this project will have on our air. I do know that several hundred acres of pristine land will be destroyed and paved and it really makes me wonder…is it really that big of a secret that trees help the environment in which we live, or do we just take it all for granted? With global warming such a hot topic these days, one would think that we as a people would take a more active interest in preserving our open spaces instead of wanting to bulldoze them down to build a mega resort casino – or several of them if the Governor has his way. Lets face it…we are all responsible for protecting this planet. We cannot and should not expect our government to take care of the issue…it needs to start personally and most importantly, locally. We can’t just wish environmental issues away…or ignore them. We need to ensure that we support entities such as SRPEDD, the Regional Task Force, and Representatives like Tom Calter, who work in our best interest by looking for smart, sustainable economical growth for our region. Growth that allows for all of us to thrive, including the Bar-ba-loots the Humming-Fish and the Truffula Trees….

There is a lot of more information regarding the benefits of trees available on the USDA website as well as the National Arbor Day Foundation website. I highly recommend the National Arbor Day Foundation website, it is geared toward homeowners and they have excellent tips for planting and growing trees as well as what you can do to reduce energy costs in your home. You can also sign up to become a foundation member and they will send you free trees through the mail.

- be the change you want to see in the world -