Trees And Greenhouse Gases
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If you have a garden, you can help reduce the greenhouse gases by planting trees. Greenhouse gases come from using energy produced by burning fuels such as wood, oil, natural gas, or coal. Hence, reducing your consumption of energy will reduce GHGs. So how do trees help?
Planting trees around your house and in your neighbourhood can reduce the energy needed to warm the house in winter. Windbreak trees can reduce the energy required by 10 to 15%. In her book Arboretum America Diana Beresford-Kroeger says this about sunshine on a cedar hedge: "The heat gain can crank up a cedar hedge one full climate zone. In other words, a microclimate is produced and a zone 5 area becomes a zone 6 area in your garden."
In the summer, trees, when they are suitably sited, reduce cooling costs from 15 to 50%. They shade buildings and streets and their leaves cool the air around them by evaporating huge quantities of water drawn up from the roots in the ground.
The species of trees you plant and their placement are important. Evergreens should be planted where they will break the cold winter winds from the north-west, north, and north-east. Deciduous trees should be on the east, south and west to provide summer shade. Climbing vines keep walls cool in summer. Because deciduous trees and vines drop their leaves in the autumn they will not block the winter sun from your home.
Trees such as the spruce can become so tall that they may block the sun from your neighbour to the north. A few such tall spruce or pine trees are alright but don't plant a whole row. On the other hand, cedars have the advantage of not becoming too big. A row of cedars on the edge of your property creates privacy and a less windy garden. Cedars require plenty of sunlight or they grow spindly. If the hedge will be in much shade, consider shade tolerant Canada hemlocks instead. They will stay full right down to ground level but it is more important to trim hemlock or they will grow very tall.
Locust trees have many qualities that should appeal. The "Sunburst" is extremely drought resistant while its small leaves allow enough light to reach the plants in its shade. Other varieties are pendulous, suited for smaller gardens.
For the benefit of the increasing number of people with asthma, the Lung Association recommends a shift from planting male trees which produce pollen to female trees which do not.
If the sales person does not know, how can you determine the sex? If it has fruit on it, it's female.
If you don't have a garden or a space to plant trees, you can volunteer to help plant trees in other places or make a donation to an organization such as the Tree Canada Foundation.
