Arbor Day Proclamation Signed
Oskaloosa Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt signed the Arbor Day Proclamation on Thursday.
Editors Note: The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are not necessarily the views or opinions of Oskaloosa News.
In information handed out at the proclamation signing from Trees Forever
– Trees filter airborne pollutants and reduce the conditions that cause asthma and other respiratory problems.
– Children in neighborhoods with more green space have lower odds of increased change in body mass index. In one study, residents of areas with the highest level of greenery were three times as likely to be physically active and 40% less likely to be overweight or obese than residents living in the least green settings.
– Studies show that children with ADD function better after activities in green settings, and the “greener” the child’s play area, the less severe his or her attention deficit symptoms. A study on children with attention deficit disorders discovered that the effect of a walk through a park is equal to peak effects of two typical ADHD medications.
-A green environment impacts worker productivity: in one study workers without views of nature from their desks claimed 23% more sick days than workers with views of nature.
-Patients recovering from surgery in hospital rooms with window views of natural scenery had shorter postoperative hospital stays, received fewer negative evaluations in nurses notes, and took fewer potent analgesics than matched patients in similar rooms with windows facing a brick wall.
-Trees clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides and other pollutants, and also shade cars and parking lots, reducing ozone emissions from vehicles. Mature trees absorb 120-240 lbs of particulate pollution each year. Also, large trees remove 60 to 70 times more pollutants than small trees.
=Trees divert caputred rainwater into the soil, where bacteria and other microorganisms filter out impurities. This reduces urban runoff and the amount of sediment, pollutants, and organic matter than reach streams.
