More trees in New York City will help people beat the heat, clean up the air, and save energy, according to one area environmentalist and city council hopeful.
"These trees are important for us. … As homeowners, as a community, these trees help us. They keep us healthy, and they keep us wealthy," said Cliff Hagen, an environmentalist and Democratic candidate for Staten Island's South Shore City Council seat, per the Staten Island Advance.
The news site pointed out the many benefits of trees planted across Staten Island and the rest of New York City, citing statistics from the NYC Urban Forest Plan. For one, urban trees can cool city streets by up to 2 degrees, and forested natural areas are on average 6 degrees cooler than surrounding neighborhoods, the report claims.
This cooling power of trees will be critically important as we face the consequences of a warming world. In fact, New York and other parts of the Northeast recently faced a sweltering heatwave that brought triple-digit temperatures and extreme humidity to the city.
Plus, New York City trees provide $260 million in ecosystem services each year, according to the report. This includes removing 1,100 tons of air pollution, providing energy savings equivalent to the annual use of 8,000 homes, and reducing stormwater runoff by 69 million cubic feet.
Not to mention the health benefits that trees and other green spaces provide; for instance, one study found that spending just 10 minutes in nature could help adults with mental illness. And in England, doctor-prescribed nature time for patients was associated with a greater sense of happiness and purpose, along with lower anxiety levels.
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New York City aims to reach 30% tree canopy coverage across its five boroughs in the next decade. The tree canopy across the city is currently just over 23%, according to the latest available data.
"City trees purify the air we breathe, improve human health and well-being, beautify neighborhoods, and can even manage stormwater," New York City states in its tree plan. "They can also keep us safer and more comfortable on hot days, shading and cooling us and providing protection from harmful ultra-violet sun rays."
Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochul's administration also has a plan to get 25 million trees planted across the state by 2033.
"Tree planting is a key strategy to help slow climate change and make our communities more resilient to challenges such as extreme heat, air pollution, and severe weather," it says on its website.
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