Record-setting heat waves. The hottest month in history. Hundreds dying from heat exhaustion. This is just the start. Smart cities like Mesa, Arizona, have made the commitment to plant one million trees by 2050 to reduce the impact of the increasing heat. Trees that are both beautiful and provide shade, which encourages more walking and exercise outdoors, as well as keeping a downtown commercial area alive for shopping.
And most importantly, trees help arrest the changing climate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, and releasing oxygen, the very air we breathe. We would love to see Laguna Beach and our city arborist be able to plant as many trees as possible.
A lovely goal would be 100 trees planted every year in Laguna! Trees that do not block views but actually add to the quality of our life. Hopefully, we, like Mesa, Arizona, can commit to finding a way to help speed up this crucial work. Go Laguna, plant more trees!
Barbara and Greg MacGillivray of Urban Tree Fund, Laguna Beach
