City planners must prepare for and adapt to serious weather challenges. It’s up to each of us to help. One of the best ways is to build up nature’s presence by planting lots of trees and shrubs, protecting rivers and streams, and reducing stretches of concrete and asphalt.
In northeast Ohio, a region once heavily industrialized and choked by polluted air, we have long acknowledged that trees help clean the air. We need their power to absorb carbon dioxide and help to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“Urban Tree Canopy” is the leafy, green, overhead tree cover that local governments, community groups and residents maintain for beauty, shade, fruit production, wildlife habitat, energy conservation, stormwater mitigation, and a host of public health and educational goals. The Urban Tree Canopy has a remarkable ability to cool a city: between offering shade and “evapotranspiration,” trees can significantly reduce a city’s temperature. This in turn helps to reduce energy costs, absorb traffic noise, and increase property values.
Along with heat, climate change is bringing massive dumps of water that cities and communities must deal with. Precipitation patterns are becoming “bursty”: we’re seeing longer periods of dryness, punctuated by epic dumps of rain and snow. This “bursty” precipitation is bad for cities because most urban sewer systems weren’t designed for massive surges. When a climate burst happens, sewers overflow and flood streets, houses, and parks - potentially causing billions in damage.
Again, this is where adding more natural spaces can help. Urban planners are identifying little nooks of asphalt that aren’t being used and they’re ripping them out -- replacing them with grasses, native plants, shrubbery, and trees that can absorb water stormwater runoff to reduce the risk of flooding.
Another big upside of restoring nature within cities and commercial areas is the increase of habitat for pollinators. Of all species, our pollinators really are essential workers. In the US alone, over 100 crops - beyond the floral industry - directly depend on animal pollination. They are directly responsible for our fruit, vegetable, oil, spice, herb, seed, nut, fiber, and raw material supplies, as well as most medicines. Crops with an estimated value of $34-50 billion per year in our economy.
In recent decades, suburban sprawl and “mega farming practices” -- using tons of fertilizers, and even tearing out native plants along roadsides so crops can be grown right up to the edge -- have decimated habitat for North American pollinating insects.
Cities, too, can do their part. Communities that pay attention to the environmental costs of installing and maintaining lawns are making a shift in favor of native plants and cultivated natural landscapes that pretty much take care of themselves once established. The benefits are many. Taking the lead by demonstrating a commitment to the environment is a great way to position your community as an attractive place to live and to build pride among residents.
But wait, there’s more! “Biophilia” is the joy that humans get from being near nature. The science here keeps stacking up: green space plays a major role in improving mental and physical health. Studies increasingly show that when we’re exposed to nature we sleep better, we become more creative, our children learn better, and the sick heal more quickly.
As the commercial used to say, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!” Much better to work with her.
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