Study confirms that access to nature in urban areas reduces loneliness
Cities tend to have a bad reputation for being places that are poor for mental health and breed loneliness, however, a team of scientists has discovered that contact with nature in cities can dramatically reduce citizens’ feelings of isolation. Loneliness is considered a major public health Read More...
Ukraine plans to plant one billion trees over the next three years
Back in 2019, Swiss scientists conducted a study that concluded that the most effective way to combat climate change is to plant a trillion trees. According to the study’s calculations, planting at least one trillion trees could sequester nearly 830 billion tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide Read More...
These US cities are home to tree-mendous green spaces
Urban green spaces and forestry have a multitude of benefits ranging from cognitive development and mental health to decreased crime rates, lower energy costs, and cleaner air. They also offer shelter for wildlife, boosting local biodiversity. The following US cities have taken urban forestry in Read More...
Spending time with trees boosts children's cognitive development
Trees are nature’s air purifiers—they provide us with oxygen and absorb CO2, which makes them a key component of the global fight against climate change. However, they also have an influence over our individual health, both mentally and physically. A new study published in Nature Read More...
This radio station plays ethereal ambient music made by trees
Silent tree activity, like photosynthesis and the absorption and evaporation of water, produces a small voltage in the leaves. In a bid to encourage people to think more carefully about their local tree canopy, sound designer and musician Skooby Laposky has found a way to convert that tree activity Read More...
New IBM tool quantifies the amount of carbon an individual tree sequesters
Although all trees sequester CO2 as they grow, not all of them do so equally. Depending on their type and their location, trees capture different amounts of carbon. In an effort to measure their exact climate benefits, IBM has developed an AI-based tool that precisely maps trees and shows how Read More...
C40 cities commit to conquering climate change with urban greenspaces
Concrete jungles are being infiltrated with urban green spaces as 31 major cities, including London, Barcelona, and Milan, have signed a declaration to invest in reintroducing nature to their metropolises. Mayors of each city agreed to strive for the C40 cities network goal of transforming 30 to Read More...
Founder of Lululemon drops $3.2 million to protect Canadian islands
Chip Wilson, founder and former CEO of the popular athletic apparel brand Lululemon, just spent $3.2 million to purchase Saturnina, a small Canadian island, and to help preserve two other islands in the Salish Sea to protect them from becoming real estate property for private homes. The three Read More...
Tree Equity Score tool maps out critical areas for urban forestry
Trees and urban green spaces are essential for city dwellers. Vegetation improves air quality, and tree cover provides shade from the heat of the sun—something that is increasingly sought after as human-induced climate change takes temperatures to extremes. Unfortunately, low-income Read More...
Mangroves roots inspire scientists to develop efficient water purifier
While solar stills have been around for some time already, there’s plenty of room for efficiency improvements. In a bid to do exactly that, scientists from Virginia Tech have developed a mangrove-inspired “synthetic tree” that mimics the natural process of transporting water from the roots to Read More...