For this assignment, I provided a summary to Amy Flemings article “The importance of Urban Forests: Why Money Really does Grow on Trees”
In Amy Fleming’s article “The importance of urban forests: why money really does grow on trees ”, Fleming analyzes the effects trees have on many aspects of our lives. Sustainable urban development, mental health, and health inequality are some of the main topics that she discusses. In a United Nations conference in 2016, an agreement called “ the New Urban Agenda [was]… launched, to address the challenges facing a growing global urban population” (Fleming 2). This agreement references the idea of green spaces and their significance in maintaining mental and physical health. Not only are trees beneficial to our health, they are also economically beneficial to have in urban settings. Trees can help “cut air conditioning use by 30%” (Fleming 2) and can “reduce heating energy use by. . . 20-50%.” (Fleming 2) These statistics reveal to us that trees help benefit us economically. There were also studies that showed children who have grown up near trees see more value in nature and that “they have less anxiety and depression.” (Fleming 4). Growing up in a green area also reduces violence due to mental fatigue within our communities, Fleming states. In short, Amy Fleming’s article, “The importance of urban forests: why money really does grow on trees ”, conveys to us the many mental, physical, and economic benefits of canopy coverage in urban and suburban settings.
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