Think New York City
is crowded enough? The population is about to grow by a million - trees. If
Mayor Bloomberg gets his way by 2017, you won't have to leave Manhattan to get your nature fix. As part of the
New York's sustainability
plan, the city will plant a million new trees in the next ten years to cool the
temperature, remove air pollution and reduce ozone. Sounds impressive? This is
only one of 127 environmental proposals for the Big Apple.
For the next decade, the city will plant trees along city
streets, parks, public lots and "every single place where it is possible to
plant a tree," according to Deputy Major Dan Doctoroff. But it's not just a
matter of slapping a sapling into the dirt. Foresters will assess growing
conditions and plant species best suited to the location. Meanwhile, private
citizens are invited to dig in, too.
Combined with incentives to reduce traffic congestion, New
York just might become one of the greenest cities in North America. At the very
least, two green thumbs up to Michael for putting the bloom back in Bloomberg.
Charmian Christie,
Outdoor Adventure Expert