Making Natural History in Public: Observation #1

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Observation #1

Samuel T. Kim

#2270768

Lecture: Science

Observation #1

Walking down the sidewalk while the sun is rising and morning commuters are quickly passing by drinking their coffees in their black suits. There is something that has always caught my eye; they are apparently not grown from cement, asphalt, or from the city buildings. Yet, they are geometrically parallel along the city roads as if it was intentionally placed. So I wondered why would the city allow these tall structures grow within the city space.

Of course I already know that these are trees that Chicago has installed within the heart of our great city. Why does are city have these trees installed within our city? Is it for an environmental look? Or does it serve some great purpose? If so, how? Why are the trees that are installed within the heart of Chicago small? Why doesn’t Chicago install bigger trees that give off more shade for the citizens during those hot summer days? As an observation based on the route I take often in Chicago, also based on these fundamental questions. So I decided to research trees as my assignment topic. According to the science trees absorb the carbon dioxide from the environment then transferred that CO2 into oxygen. This chemical process helps our city by decreasing air pollution within our city. Increasing the overall health of our community at the same time giving our city an urban nature city look in the process. During the traffic hours there are lots of cars, buses, cabs, trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, trains, cigarette smokers . . . etc. which ultimately produces a lot of air pollution. The way Chicago has the trees installed they are geometrically placed along the sidewalks which are along the main roads where during traffic hours consist of heavy amounts of air pollution. So I assumed that by installing these trees the city was attempting to create some sort of equilibrium within our city. Balancing out the CO2 and the oxygen.

One tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of forty-eight pounds a year, and an acre of trees will absorb enough carbon dioxide within a year to equal the amount produced by driving a car twenty-six thousand miles. If every family in the United States planted one tree that would reduce the carbon dioxide within our own atmosphere by one billion pounds annually. A tree generates thirty-one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars worth of oxygen, provides sixty-two thousand dollars worth of air pollution control, recycling thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars worth of water, and helps control thirty-one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars worth of soil erosion within 50 years.