Knock on wood, touch wood

Did you know…

1. Healthy cities should have an average tree canopy coverage of 40% to ensure their ecological, economic and social sustainability. Rural areas should set a goal of 50%. (Source: American Forests)

One tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces in driving 26,000 miles. About half of the ‘greenhouse effect’ is caused by CO2, and trees help reduce this by removing CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.

Evidence of the world’s oldest rainforest was discovered in the underground workings of a coalmine in Illinois, US. It is 300 million years old, from the Carboniferous period, when the world’s best coal resources were formed.

The oldest tree on Earth is a 12,000 year old California redwood named "Eternal God" (source: The Guinness Book of World Records). Previously, the "Methuselah" Bristlecone Pine held the record at about 4,700 years. This redwood predates man’s discovery of the wheel and the development of agriculture!

Scientists worldwide agree that the preserving and planting trees are among the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess CO2 from the atmosphere. Trees also filter our water, stabilize our soil and provide food, medicine and wildlife habitat.