If you think we are not connected to trees, think again!
Autumn is here. Once again we’ll witness the beauty of our North American trees. There are more than 700 varieties of trees in the U.S.A. In Washington, DC, two trees have been cultivated as symbols of peace in recognition of the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. One is a beautiful white pine bonsai tree that is 400 years old. The other is the cherry blossom trees, given to us by Japan, that grace us each spring with beautiful blooms and elegant beauty.
These givers of life populate two-thirds of the planet’s land mass. They provide sustainable and diverse resources. Homes, food, medicines, paper, fuel, oil, art, vehicles, bridges, furniture, instruments, rubber, cork, fibers, toys, paper, pencils, tools, and disinfects are among the many resources provided by trees.
Trees are indispensable. According to the Field Guide of Trees of North America, “trees are plants and use photosynthesis from sun’s energy, splitting molecules of air and water in half then recombining atoms into complex carbon molecules thus giving off oxygen as a by product. Further, photosynthesis originated as bacteria more than two billion years ago, gradually oxygenated into the atmosphere by large–one cell organisms ingesting photosynthesis bacteria given rise to plant and algae thus given the call ‘Tall Planets.’”
They also provide soil stabilization, erosion control, water conservation, and protect us from floods and landslides. They are natural sponges. Trees are also part of the natural carbon cycle, but we have put too much CO2 into the atmosphere for the trees to absorb. They are being damaged by human emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and acid rain. CO2 is destabilizing the entire biosphere (plants, ocean marine biota and atmosphere), and with it all human life. Wildfires are also claiming thousands of trees every year.
There are many ways to protect our tall friends called trees. Education is key, but we also need to work on reforestation. We should make starting forest fires a federal offense, make recycling a federal law, and require construction companies to work around healthy trees instead of plowing them down simply because they were in the way. We have responsibility to protect trees not just locally but nationally and globally. It’s imperative that we do everything it takes to protect our tall friends called trees.
