The destiny of most Christmas trees come December 26th is the chipper. The Green Christmas Program in San Francisco, California aims to change this pattern. For the past five years the Green Christmas Program has allowed residents to purchase a tree from the city for $95 and then when the holidays are over a group called Friends of the Urban Forest collects them and replants them in historically under-planted neighborhoods in San Francisco. The trees that are available for purchase aren’t the typical Douglas fir or Scotch pine but vary from southern magnolias, small-leaf tristanias, strawberry trees, and the New Zealand Christmas tree all of which can thrive along the streets of San Francisco.
The Green Christmas Program was included in the city’s Climate Action Plan and is one of many ways that San Francisco plans to reduce their carbon emissions 20% below 1990 levels by 2012. This program aims to plant 100 to 200 trees per year in the city which would offset about 400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
This is a great program to consider in other urban areas. There are a lot of cities in the nation and in the world that use urban forests as a way to reduce their carbon emissions. By getting the community involved in programs like San Francisco’s Green Christmas Program residents not only learn of the importance of reducing greenhouse gases but also take pride in the fact that they participated in something that is protecting the environment.
Trees in urban areas not only reduce carbon emissions but also help settle out, trap, and hold particle pollutants like dust, ash pollen, and smoke out of the air. These particulates are trapped and filtered by leaves, stems and twigs. Trees remove gaseous pollutants by absorbing them through the pores of their leaf surface. Thus urban forestry doesn’t only help reduce carbon emissions but also protects human health and reduces air pollution.
Trees in urban areas also allow for a feeling of relaxation and well-being and a sense of solitude and security. Not only does the Green Christmas Program reduce carbon emissions and provide health benefits but it does so in a way that doesn’t cost the city any money. The trees are paid for by residents and volunteers go out and replant them in parts of the city that need greening.
-Natalia Sanchez
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is very interesting to me being that this is my first Christmas as an Environmental Policy and Planning major. I had not really considered the environmental impacts of the Christmas tradition of cutting down trees for decoration before. I believe this program is a good example of how to effectively manage this problem, and other places should follow in this effort. Many people will not agree to forgo picking out and chopping down a tree for the holiday season, so it is important that we can offset the environmental effects that this could have. One can only hope (or ask Santa)that making steps to replace Christmas trees cut down will lead to the replacing of all trees cut down in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat idea! I think creative ideas such as this will encourage citizen participation and even educate them about the effects of their consumer behavior. Although we first should find out a way to reduce the number of trees being cut down for Christmas Tree use in the first place, I think that this program is a good start, and will maybe deter people from chopping down Christmas trees in the future, in knowing the impact that this has on the environment. With all the benefits that you listed, I don't think you mentioned that it could definitely play a role in reducing urban runoff. With more vegetation in the area, increasing the amount of pervious surfaces in urban areas, I think this will help in terms of stormwater management.
ReplyDelete