Ten-month-old Mary Lynne Leroux is moved to tears by her mother Amanda's angelic rendition of the Rod Stewart single "My Heart Can't Tell You No."
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Superhero Costumes for Little Furry Pets
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's Cover of "Get Lucky" Is Pretty Great
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost stopped by a London radio station to promote their new movie The World's End and ended up laying down this incredible cover of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky." We should just replace the original with this song from now on. (via The AV Club)
Taking Bicycle Parking to the Streets
Urban Trees Save Lives
A recent study by urban forestry guru David Nowak and other researchers at U.S. Forest Service and The Davey Institute found that urban trees save at least one life per year in most cities and up to 8 people per year in large metropolises like New York City.
“Trees growing in cities help clean the air of fine particulate air pollution — soot, smoke, dust, dirt — that can lodge in human lungs and cause health problems,” Grist explains. As an example, “trees clear 71 tons” of air particulate matter 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) from Atlanta’s air each year.
As explained in a recent post on outdoor air pollution, urban particulate air pollution kills as many as 2.5 million people each year. PM 2.5 has a drastic effect on human health, including premature mortality.
Researchers noted that larger particles between particulates 2.5 to 10 micrometers in diameter—also called coarse dust particles or PM10—are removed by trees at a substantially higher rate. However, the health benefits of PM2.5 removal is 30 to 350 times more valuable.
What happens to our health when those trees die from natural causes en masse? Apparently, as another recent study claims, people die, too. This study study showed that the “loss of trees to the emerald ash borer increased mortality related to cardiovascular and lower-respiratory-tract illness. This finding adds to the growing evidence that the natural environment provides major public health benefits.” Untrammeled development would then also have the same negative health impacts at the ash borer.
Of course, the health benefits are not restricted to our lungs and heart, but also our minds. As can be seen in a new UK-wide study, parks, gardens, and even street trees in urban areas improve the mood and mental well-being of the surrounding residents.
The value of trees goes well beyond their immediate air quality-reducing properties, too. According to one recent U.S. Forest Service study, “urban forests are responsible for storing 708 million tons of carbon—a service valued at $50 billion.”
Not to ignore the financial side of better health, the Nowak study also claims that “the average health benefits value per hectare of tree cover was about $1,600, but varied [from city to city].”
The study concludes that “trees can produce substantial health improvements and values in cities.” Although more research is needed to improve these estimates, this study also leaves room for new research that explores the local effects of tree-filled landscapes in cities.
Read the study and check out a recent animation from ASLA: Urban Forests = Cleaner, Cooler Air.
This guest post is by Phil Stamper, ASLA PR and Communications Coordinator.
Image credit: Bryant Park, NYC / Wikipedia
Single and Gluten-Free? There's a Dating Site For That
ClimniatisHA!
Mmhmm, that's right, if you're sick of regular old dating sites and also don't eat gluten, this site has what you need. While I imagine this is great for people who actually have Celiac Disease or are gluten intolerant, it still seems a little crazy to narrow down your dating pool to something this specific.
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ClimniatisWay more interesting than Louisiana's Cash for Nutria program.