A practical guide to suburban radicalism

This year, I made a drastic nod. I have planted two trees on my land.

Sophie Rubishod
Radical passengers

Are you disappointed? should not be. No need to search from noon to 2pm for the latest technology to overcome a range of ills we face in our time (climate change, air pollution, extreme heat, reduced diversity, noise pollution, food independence, etc.), the tree does the job well . Unconvinced ? Here is the demonstration:

Trees capture and fix the carbon in the atmosphere that is responsible for climate change. They act as carbon sinks.

Trees also pick up fine dust and aerosols suspended in the air, which contribute positively to the quality of the surrounding air.

Trees can greatly modernize an urban space. In some areas of the city of Montreal, we are talking about a difference of 10 degrees Celsius. It’s enormous!

Trees help reduce the need for air conditioning in summer without interfering with passive heating in winter (hardwoods). Long live the savings!

Trees act as a habitat for wildlife and help preserve the city’s biodiversity.

Trees contribute to our psychological well-being. Studies have shown that patients who have access to a tree view during a hospital stay recover faster.

Trees along the street improve driving (reduce speed and glare) and increase the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.

Trees increase property values. This added value can be up to 15%!

Finally, trees decorate our neighborhoods.

monoculture

Simple, isn’t it? So why don’t we always have even a tree in front of our bungalows? This is where the shoe pinches.

There is indeed the historical part of this fashion which is the presence of manicured golf courses in the storefront. For some reason it escapes me, lawn monoculture was (and still is for some) the pinnacle of landscaping refinement. Don’t worry, Quebec cities have long adopted regulations requiring at least one tree in their storefront in order to regenerate urban forests, but these regulations are mostly not enforced, or only partially.

You’ll tell me that new builds are now being delivered with a tree in front, but it still happens all too often that one dies or gets cut down completely and is never replaced.

However it is a file Easy to getSimple, inexpensive solution that can be implemented relatively quickly. So what’s wrong here? Cities simply do not have the resources to implement these measures. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality they have to deal with. Between culture, recreation, parks, litter boxes, de-icing, aqueduct, sewage, municipal maintenance, and the lark, there is little room for new initiatives, especially those of promoting regulation rather than the goodwill of citizens.

Speaking of goodwill, many citizens have it! So, until our cities decide, be radical, plant a tree.

see the document The roles of trees in the city