Trees usually have a bad reputation in the spring for all the pollen they put into the air. But they provide big benefits though to our air, which helps clean out some of the bad stuff we’re putting into it.
The State of the Air 2019 report ranked the Sacramento-Roseville region with the 5th worst air pollution in the country.
We may know some of the ways to help, like decreasing our use of gas-powered machines like cars and lawn mowers, but the biggest help could just be in our trees.
Trees absorb carbon as well as other pollutants like smoke. They also help improve our soil. So, when heavy rain hits, there’s not as much storm runoff into neighborhoods and homes.
Carbon may not be great for our air, but trees use it to grow through a process called photosynthesis. Each year, trees remove 10-20 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On top of all that, as flooding impacts get more extreme with our changing climate, trees help by catching rainwater, reducing erosion and creating soils that can soak up more water.
Trees may be a little annoying right now as they are blooming, but they have a lot of benefits to our climate and health.
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