Today being the Wednesday during National Forest week, this is National Tree Day. It has been thus since a private members motion was passed in the House of Commons in 2011. There is a registered charity called Tree Canada that is dedicated to the planting and nurturing of trees and it was the driving force behind the establishment of National Tree Day. According to Tree Canada, trees help us live longer and healthier lives. Their research shows that adding 10 trees to a city block offers mood and health benefits akin to getting a $10,000 raise in pay or being seven years younger. Forest cover in Canadian cities has been declining and considering Canadians have always tied much of our national identity to nature, this is concerning because 4 out of every 5 people live in urban areas. They say trees reduce the effect of climate change, naturally cooling cities. Trees absorb CO2 while releasing clean oxygen back into the air. Shade from trees can help us feel up to 15% cooler on hot summer days and reduce air conditioning costs more than 20%. So with today being National Tree Day, we can ponder the great benefits that trees provide us, including clean air, reducing energy demand, wildlife habitat and connecting with nature. And I’d love to feel seven years younger, so they can come plant 10 more trees on my block anytime.
That’s Coffeetalk. I’m Vic Dubois.