Green spaces are a great benefit to
our environment. They filter pollutants and dust from the air, they provide
shade and lower temperatures in urban areas, and they even reduce erosion of
soil into our waterways. These are just a few of the environmental benefits
that green spaces provide.
Urban advantages. More green space within a city’s
boundaries can improve the urban environment. Among the green space advantages
listed in EcoPlanIT Madison: Green Space Goal (UW-Madison Department of Urban
and Regional Planning) are: helping regulate air quality and climate…reducing
energy consumption by countering the warming effects of paved
surfaces….recharging groundwater supplies and protecting lakes and streams from
polluted run off.Water quality protection. Proper landscaping reduces nitrate
leaching from the soil into the water supply and reduces surface water runoff,
keeping phosphorus and other pollutants out of our waterways and preventing
septic system overload.
Reduced
heat buildup. Trees in a parking lot can reduce on-site heat buildup, decrease
runoff and enhance night time cool downs. Tests in a mall parking lot in
Huntsville, Ala. showed a 31 degree difference between shaded and
unshadedareas.Reduced soil erosion. A dense cover of plants and mulch holds
soil in place, keeping sediment out of lakes, streams, storm drains and roads;
and reducing flooding, mudslides and dust storms.Improved air quality. Trees,
shrubs and turf remove smoke, dust and other pollutants from the air. One tree
can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, equaling
11,000 miles of car emissions. One study showed that one acre of trees has the
ability to remove 13 tons of particles and gases annually. 2,500 square feet of
turf absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releases enough oxygen for
a family of four to breathe.
Lower attic temperatures. Trees
shading homes can reduce attic temperatures as much as 40 degrees. According to
the EPA, urban forests reduce urban air temperatures significantly by shading
heat sinks such as buildings and concrete and returning humidity to the air
through evaporative cooling.Natural resource conservation. By using trees to
modify temperatures, the amount of fossil fuels used for cooling and heating is
reduced.