There are usually fewer trees in communities where residents are black or other people of color or with lower incomes in the United States.
The non-profit organization American Forests has created a system to track these imbalances and has calculated the results for Houston, Detroit, Seattle, and other urban areas.
It works with local communities, non-profit organizations, and governments to use data to promote planting and keep pace with the broader environmental justice movement across the country and the world.
Pollution
Tree net worth scores include factors such as population density, income and employment, race and ethnicity, age, satellite data of tree cover, and surface temperature. The method was developed in Rhode Island and is part of the National Learning Laboratory of the American Climate Alliance.
“Racism and other forms of discrimination [continue to play] The role of the location of the tree, [which] Along racial and economic boundaries affect the health and well-being of communities,” said Amelia Ross, executive director of the Rhode Island Foundation (RI) of the American Forest Partnership.
American Forests defines tree equity as having enough trees in an area so that everyone can experience health, climate, and economic benefits.
Trees cool and clean the air, reducing the risk of heat-related diseases and respiratory diseases. They filter out water pollution, reduce flooding, reduce energy costs, sequester carbon, and benefit mental health. People living in communities with fewer trees generally face more heat, pollution, and stress.
Data driven
Inequality in tree cover in the United States is often a consequence of housing discrimination.
Through the racist real estate red line practices of the 1930s, federal officials referred to black communities as “risky” investments to prevent potential home buyers from obtaining mortgages.
This underinvestment has led to reduced greening and increased sidewalks in black communities and other communities of color.
A 2020 study found that communities that were previously redlined now have summer temperatures of up to 7°C. The areas previously marked with red lines are more likely to be lower-income areas and have black or Latino residents who have experienced related health disparities.
I asked Jeremy Hoffman, the co-author of the Redline Study, for his opinion on the net worth of trees in American forests. He said this data-driven approach “completely makes sense.”
Canopy
It “can help the city to effectively pay [limited resources] Have the greatest impact on reducing heat islands, improving mental health, and providing economic opportunities [existing residents]. “
