Houston, Texas originally existed as a dense forest along a stretch of the Texas Gulf Coast, filtering pollutants, purifying air, and providing breathable oxygen for humans. However, due to humans’ action of “urban sprawl”, including cutting down trees, cleaning the land, and building the communities and factories, woodland was wiped out. Unfortunately, most factories release and spread nitrogen dioxide to the air which is very unhealthy for human lungs. World Health Organization (WHO) data shows that almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants. Results globally, estimated at 8.34 million deaths are due to fine particulate and ozone air pollution. To purify the air, Dow Chemical Company uses traditional but expensive machines, scrubbers, to get rid of industrial pollutants. Besides scrubbers, Dow Chemical and Nature Conservancy, one of the U.S.’s oldest conservation groups, are working together to restore the forest, hoping to curb air pollution. They propose a six-year project around 10 million to recreate the woodland. So using scrubber machines or planting trees? What would you choose? To be honest, I would make a decision of planting trees if I were the CEO of Dow Chemical Company.
Planting trees brings numerous and significant benefits, even though tree growth takes a long process from seedlings in the earth to the giant trees. Currently, many companies use scrubbers machines to purify the air. But Dow Chemical Company addresses an eco-friendly way: Planting Trees. From the Dow’s Chemical’s perspective, planting trees has the same effects as using the scrubber machines. Timm Kroeger, a senior environmental economist with the conservancy, explained that planting trees in a 1000 acre forest removes 4 to 7 short tons. A scrubber, by contrast, removes about 50 to 70 short tons annually. In other words, a 10000 acre forest would do the job of one average industrial scrubber because a 10000 acre forest would remove 40 to 70 which is nearly 50 to 70. So the effects for both planting trees or using scrubbers are the same, no difference. In addition, trees will grow up and last for a long time, unlike machines that might be worn out. The longer the machine has been used, the value of the machine will decrease because maybe the machine needs to change parts. To change parts, they need to hire a professional to change it, which would be costly and need extra money. In general, trees live from 30 years to 2000 years according to their species, for an average tree lifespan of 300-400 years. Many species of trees live well beyond 2000 years, like The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine lives more than 5000 years, while some species like Willow Trees only live for about 30 years. However, sometimes, according to Commercial Air Scrubber, scrubber machines might be broken or parts would be worn out, and it could be quite necessary to hire an expert air scrubber team to deal with parts problems, which would cost thousands of bills. Moreover, the bigger the trees, the more the trees can capture pollutants to make a more healthy environment for humans, once the trees grow up. Although scrubbers could do the job of cleaning the air, planting trees can not only provide a better living environment but also is a better solution to the health of our future generations. The study, In a Nutshell: Buckeye Engineering briefs, addresses that adding plants and trees to the landscapes near factories and other pollution sources could reduce air pollution by an average of 27 percent. Bhavik Bakshi, lead author of the study and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at The Ohio State University, states that “We don’t think about nature; we just focus on putting technology into everything. We need to start looking at nature and learning from it and respecting it.” The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations describes that large grown trees are excellent filters for pollutants and fine particulates and “Planting Trees is essential for future Generation”. Planting trees is essential for environmental management as well as preserving and enhancing our planet for future generations.
While planting trees provides numerous benefits, still there are some drawbacks and challenges to consider. The research about reforestation addressed by Dow Chemical Company (DOW) is still being reviewed by other scientists and the decision of planting trees is still not made yet. Dow Chemical Company needs to get approval through the government and it will take at least several years. The articles Dow/TNC: air pollution mitigation via reforestation published in 2014, explained that the Dow Chemical Company hired a research team to conduct a 2-4 year pilot study. It pointed out that “Reforestation still needs to be approved by agencies as a strategy for air quality compliance. This requires that emission reductions be quantifiable, additional, enforceable and permanent.” Also, the reforestation project, a six-year, $10 million plan, by Dow Chemical Company may not fit the bill. Planting trees would be costly, and even charge extra money to proceed with the project, like buying seeds of the plant or hiring professionals to plant trees. If a natural disaster happens, Dow Chemical Company might need to replant the trees. Plus, it would take time for trees to grow. “How Much Does it Cost to Plant a Tree”, says that the cost of planting a tree can vary greatly depending on tree species as well as the size and the age of the tree. On average, it would cost between $150 and $1850 to plant a tree. Assuming Dow Chemical Company spends as little as $85 to plant a tree and plant a 1-cubic-yard tree, it would at least cost $2470 to plant. Then Dow Chemical Company needs to plant a 10000 acre forest, which will take a lot of money. Furthermore, trees are living things and they might face threats like diseases, fires, droughts, and others. Planting a tree from seed, sprout, seedling, sapling, to adult tree takes a long process.Unfortunately, during the process of tree growing up, trees might encounter all types of disease and insect infestation that will quickly end the life of young trees. In Seven Deadly Threats to Trees, it describes that the spread of invasive pests and diseases can cause the decrease of tree population. Emerald ash borer, an invasive wood-boring beetle from Asia, is the most deadly threat to trees. Dutch elm disease is one of the earlier fungal diseases toward trees. To get the approval of the reforestation project, it is essential for Dow Chemical Company to plan with considerations from all different aspects.
After careful thoughts of both benefits and drawbacks, I would choose to plant trees if I were the CEO of Dow Chemical Company. First, trees are homes for wildlife. Trees are like cities for wildlife, providing food and shelter for thousands of species. Trees make the ecosystem balanced. Countless invertebrate species, from snails to butterflies to spiders, rely on woodland habitats. The article of Trees and Biodiversity clearly states that “Forests are key to the health of biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Trees support wildlife by providing habitat.” For example, oak trees can support up to 2,300 species with over 300 of these entirely dependent on oaks for their survival. Secondly, trees can reduce heat. Trees provide shade, cooling down the ground, buildings, and other places where they absorb heat. Also, the carbon dioxide released by factories would make the air hot and humid. Trees can suck up the carbon dioxide and make it a bit cooler, leading to saving energy from using electronics. Based on The Environmental Benefits of Planting Trees, trees could lower surface temperature by 20-45° F. The article of 10 Benefits of Planting Trees also echoes that planting trees reduces energy consumption for heating and cooling by 30 percent, suggesting saving on money used for air conditioning. Last but not the least, trees can protect people from natural disasters. The roots of trees are very strong and effective. They cling onto the dirt to prevent landslides and mudslides. They also suck the water up to use when it rains on the canopy. During the hurricanes, trees can help mitigate the risk of flash floods. Dow Chemical Company illustrates that “ Over the past 100 years, 80 percent of the southern portion of this third largest watershed on Earth has been degraded or destroyed by human and industrial development, as well as major weather events including Hurricane Katrina. In addition to the carbon reduction benefits, the revitalization of native bald cypress trees serves as a line of defense to help protect more than 200,000 residents from future storms, while improving water quality and enhancing wildlife habitat”. Generally speaking, planting trees has more valuable and helpful functions than using scrubbers machines from environmental considerations.
In summary, Dow Chemical Company and Nature Conservancy are proposing a research project of planting trees to purify the air in Huston, Texas. From the company’s view points, planting trees has the same effects as using scrubbers machines, the parts of the machines would wear out but trees wouldn’t, and more trees could capture more air pollutants. But this research project is still under review and needs to get approval from state and federal officials. Additionally, planting trees could be costly. If trees are infested with diseases or encounter invasive pests, the tree population would decrease and the company needs to spend extra money to replant the trees. With the analysis and considerations, I still think planting trees brings more benefits than using scrubbers because trees are home to wildlife, trees can reduce heat, and trees can protect humans from disasters. But one thing the Dow Chemical Company should keep in mind: what kind of tree species they would plant? If the non-native tree species are introduced and planted, it is highly possible that these non-native tree species would outcompete native tree species, change habitants, and disrupt local ecosystems.
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