Why cities need to add up the economic value of trees
2 May 2016
By JACK PAYNE | Your parents were wrong: money does grow on trees. Cities routinely rake in tens of millions of dollars from their urban forests annually in ways that are not always obvious.
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Not just a way to beat the heat, urban forests also reduce air pollution and provide other services for the economy. |
Leafy canopies lower summer air conditioning bills, but more shade also means less blade to maintain thousands of acres of grass. Health-wise, trees contribute to lower asthma rates and birth defects by removing air pollutants.
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