With the death of 36 million trees since May, the death toll due to drought conditions in California has risen to over 102 million, reports the Guardian.
The US state continues to face a severe drought since five years, marked by low mountain snowpack and warm temperature.
The drought-stricken forests have increased the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the US state.
Drought has now become common everywhere. It is not only the natural calamities that cause drought but also human actions such as deforestation.
We often forget that the economic benefits obtained from deforestation are directly or indirectly inviting us for devastation and destruction of human race on our own planet earth.
To save the human race, we must take immediate actions to save mother earth. Everyone can do it. Planting trees can be something that each of us can do.
Here’s how trees make a difference:
- Trees improve air quality by producing oxygen. They also store carbon, offsetting harmful byproducts of fossil-fuel burning.
- They moderate the effects of sun and wind, and they clean the air by trapping dust, pollen and other pollutants.
- Planted in the right places around buildings, trees can significantly reduce air-conditioning costs. This means less Freon, an inflammable and odorless chemical emitted from air conditioners. It is considered to have damaging effects to the ozone layer.
- Trees increase property value.
- Trees generate jobs and contribute raw materials for buildings, newspapers, books, etc. They are renewable, biodegradable and recyclable.
- They provide shelter and food for wildlife such as birds, squirrels and bugs.
- Trees make people feel good. Workers are more productive when they see trees along their commute routes and from their office windows.
- Landscapes that include trees help relax us, lower heart rates and reduce stress.
