Every
day more and more people talk about the benefits of the trees on the
air we breath and...
...actually
IT IS TRUE!!
It
is enough to browse online of a short period of time to find so many
researches, studies, journals, bulletins and statistics written in
every corner of the globe that support this theory.
For
instance, a research conducted in 2014 in Canada by the University of
Chicago and the University of Toronto sustains that trees in urban
areas can decreases cardio-metabolic conditions in ill persons.
They
demonstrated that trees can improve the air quality and they seem to
help reducing blood pressure; also it is proved that physical
activity in the open spaces are beneficial for the human being and
people who live surrounded by trees perceive to be part of an
healthier environment.
Another
research conducted by forester Dave Nowak in 2010 discusses the fact
that trees prevent acute respiratory symptoms. It is shown that
nitrogen dioxide (N02) is linked to respiratory diseases such as
emphysema and bronchitis as well as cancer and heart disease and it
even contribute to premature deaths.
Trees
and forests can remove tonnes of air pollution, intercept
particulates and absorb gasses through their leaves.
In
London for example, there is a borough which is badly suffering from
the air pollution, it is Putney in which the conditions of the air
are worst than New York or Shanghai. In
Putney at the beginning of the 2016 the annual diesel pollution
limits in the high street have been breach several times.
To
quickly improve this critical situation, the Wandsworth council
decided to plant some trees in the Putney High street as part of a
wider project which incorporates a plan for new zero emission taxis
and the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone from 2020 and road
circulation improvement.
Already
in 2011, the Mayor Boris Johnson claimed to increase the green area
of the capital of 5% by 2025, hopefully this will help to improve the
situation in the Capital and in its suburban areas.
TIP
I
have found out also this interesting tip: eating Broccoli is good for
the body (it is considered a form of chemoprevention) as they help to
excrete benzene through the urine.
References:
The Health Benefits of Trees: <http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/trees-good/375129/> 2016
Study Finds Large Health Benefits To Living Near Trees: <http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/there-are-health-benefits-living-near-trees-study-suggests/> 2014
Putney High Street breaches annual diesel pollution limit eight days in to 2016: <http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/putney-high-street-breaches-annual-diesel-pollution-limit-eight-days-in-to-2016-a3151546.html>
New trees for Putney High treet: <http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/11601/new_trees_for_putney_high_street>
London’s Urban Forest:
A Guide for Designers, Planners and Developers: The Canopy:
<https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/tdag_canopyweb.pdf> 2011
