Enjoying cooler and cleaner air in Birmingham could come down to planting more urban trees.
That’s according to a new study from the Nature Conservancy. The organization released a study last week analyzing nearly 250 of the world’s largest cities. They studied the impact trees have on mitigating heat and air pollution within the cities. The report finds planting more trees in cities like Birmingham could reduce temperatures by up to 4 degrees Fahrenheit in summer months. Additional trees could also cut down on air pollution from sources like car exhaust and power plants.
Dr. Rob McDonald is the lead scientist from the Nature Conservancy study. He says one hurdle is city governments tend to think of trees strictly as ornamentation, and public health officials don’t think of trees much at all.
“One of our big hopes for this report is to start a dialogue between these two types of agencies, so that when urban forestry departments are prioritizing where to plant, they’re thinking about public health as well.”
McDonald says an interactive map at nature.org shows the impact that additional trees could have in cutting down heat and pollution in specific Birmingham neighborhoods.