Trees are the longest living organisms on the planet and one of the earth’s greatest natural resources. They keep our air supply clean, reduce noise pollution, improve water quality, help prevent erosion, and provide food and building materials. Here are some more thought-provoking facts and figures about our oldest citizens and living treasures....trees!
v The shade and wind buffering provided by trees reduces annual heating and cooling costs by 2.1 billion dollars per annum.
v Each average-sized tree provides an estimated $7 saving in annual environmental cost benefits, including energy conservation and reduced pollution.
v A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. That means two mature trees can supply a family of four!
v Water originating in our national forests provides drinking water for many rural communities. One tree can absorb approximately 60 million times as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving 26,000 miles.
v Over the course its life, a single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide.
v An average family in the United States uses about 750 pounds of paper every year, and 95% of homes are built using wood.
v That means each person uses the equivalent of one tree 100 feet tall with a trunk 16 inches in diameter, every year for paper and wood products. The average tree in an urban area has a life expectancy of only 8 years.
Olabode Abiodun Emmanuel
( Copied from Nature Watch 2008, a publication of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation)
Note: the figures provided are for the U.S.A.
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