In a city where the number of cars bought is exploding every single day, and in the same city where individual houses are making way to multi-storey apartments, there is bound to be traffic issues. And since we don’t want to stay too far away from all the action the city may offer, we have no choice but to be on those roads, in the middle of the mayhem.
So, logically, from an infrastructure perspective, widening existing roads is the only solution. Its not like we can build new ones! Public transport and metros can pose an argument, but only to some extent. And if we have to widen roads, we have to cut trees.
We might benefit from cutting trees on one account - CO emissions. Sounds a little odd doesn’t it? Here goes:
Note: This article is being written after just one simple round of research, mostly done through online resources. The numbers represented here involve assumptions and sometimes, data picked off the internet. I intend to dig in more in coming weeks to prune the data.
An average tree can absorb up to 48lbs (22Kgs) per YEAR is what they say.
Assume we are talking 25 trees, spread across a stretch of 250 meters. This can roughly translate into 250 meters of extra traffic in ONE lane.
Take a look at this table:
* Assuming we spend twice the time idling
** Assuming total 6 hours of peak time
Note: The CO Emission levels here are based on BSIV or Euro IV, assuming all vehicles are compliant
We would release upto 7 Kgs of CO per day, just because of an extra 250 meters of stop-and-go traffic. For a year, its almost 2520Kgs of CO.
25 trees would have absorbed 550Kg of CO.
For a finite number of vehicles, if the trees were to give way to another lane, the traffic would have flown in half the time and hence the emission would have been half what it would be otherwise.
So, Emission with trees: 2520 – 550 = 2000Kgs of CO (appx).
Emission without trees: 2550/2 = 1220 Kgs of CP (appx).
Need I say more?
Still, having said what I said, we cant put a number to the aesthetic values or trees. Not to mention the home they provide to smaller life forms. Neither can we quantify the amount of rainfall it may effect. And nor can we sum up the breeze and shade they offer when the sun is beating down!
Moral: If you need them trees, Move out of cities or buy a bicycle :)
Note: Alternate measures like re-planting the trees is always welcome, but not directly under the discussion here.
