2. c) Attachment Presentation to Selwyn Council for a Trees Bylaw – February 26, 2019 Jo Hayward-Haines, 127 Shanagarry Drive, Ennismore, K0L 1T0 I will startle no one when I state that we are in the throes of climate disruptions caused by global warming and other factors. The natural world doesn’t function in a linear fashion, as Council meetings do. Everything is inter-connected. How this is so and how this reality demands changes in our habitual ways of thinking becomes more and more obvious in the wake of devastating fires, like the recent one at Fort McMurray, floods like the one over a decade ago in Peterborough and of course the increased unpredictability of weather patterns which affects particularly our local farmers and by extension all of us who rely on these crops for our livelihood in direct and indirect ways. As was summarized recently in a budget proposal to Peterborough Council by 4RGrandchildren, “The October report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change represents the consensus views of hundreds of key scientists researching the effects of climate breakdown. Their statement is that we have eleven years to cut carbon emissions by45 %, reaching 100% reduction by 2050. This requires a 4% reduction in carbon emissions per year, starting now. If this goal is not reached, scientists have stated that runaway climate breakdown may leave the Earth uninhabitable by humans for 10,000 years.” We can give credit to efforts already underway to adapt to this scenario, though, and work to amplify them. The issue in this presentation, one piece in the inter-connectedness of living forms in the web of life, is trees. By now we all know about our living, breathing relationship to trees. Trees perform a remarkable array of functions in our shared eco- system, but primary, in this instance, is the function of absorbing the global-warming gas CO2 and transforming it into oxygen, which is
2. c) Attachment released into the air we all share. Along with the other primary resources of nature – fire, water, soil and air – these should be our untouchable, fiercely protected assets. Forests have been called carbon sinks, and each tree participates in that storage function. In 2016, Peterborough passed By-Law # 70-120. You have all received copies, which I sent out to you sometime last week. This by-law states that conserving trees is a matter respecting the economic, social and environmental well-being of the community, in accordance with sections 10(2), 135(1) and 135(7) of the Municipal Act of 2001. Section 135(7) of the Act provides that a by-law may require that a permit be obtained to injure or destroy trees, and a requirement to re-plant trees. The by-law states, D., that “City Council, in recognition of the environmental, aesthetic value and public health benefit of trees, wishes to conserve and protect trees within the City by regulating the destruction and injury of trees located on private property.” We need a similar by-law in Selwyn. My personal reasons for urging this action are many. I deeply understand the implications of how our lifestyles have contributed to the current environmental crisis and I am working 24/7 to learn how we can mitigate the worst effects. I am a mother of three children and a grandmother to four. Like any mother, whatever the species, I would risk life and limb for these incredible offspring of mine. I have been a teacher, too, for many years, and the children in mythose classes inspire me still. I am a writer and an artist – those gifts I bend in the direction of making a difference in the here and now. And finally – if you visit my house on 127 Shanagarry, you can see by what’s happened there, why I can’t remain silent. Across the way giant bulldozers pulled every single tree out of the ground in a wooded site, preparation for building – which has subsequently stalled. My nice neighbour chopped down twelve silver maples along our border. We consulted, like adults can do, and I
2. c) Attachment agreed four trees might pose a threat in increasingly violent storms to our roofs. But all twelve? I replaced those trees and more on land my son owns near Hastings, made a mini-painting called “Stumped”, which I didn’t deliver, and have taken the responsibility to urge you to pass legislation that will protect our natural environment, specifically right now our trees, for all of us and for generations to follow. We need to note, in closing, the importance of trees in contributing to making urban and rural communities more sustainable now and as a legacy for the future. 1. Trees can contribute to the increase of local food and nutrition security, providing food such as fruits, nuts and leaves for both human consumption and fodder. 2. Trees play an important role in increasing biodiversity, providing plants and animals with a favourable habitat, food and protection. 3. A mature tree can absorb up to 150 kg of CO2 per year. As a result, trees play an important role in climate change mitigation. Especially in cities with high levels of pollution, trees can improve air quality, making communities healthier places to live in. 4. Strategic placement of trees in cities and rural areas can help to cool the air between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, thus reducing the “heat island” effect, and helping communities to adapt to the effects of climate change. 5. Large trees are excellent filters for pollutants and fine particulates. They absorb pollutant gases (such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and sulfur oxides) and filter fine particulates such as dust, dirt or smoke out of the air by trapping them on leaves and bark. 6. Research shows that living in close proximity to green spaces with access to them can improve physical and mental health, for example by decreasing high blood pressure and stress. This, in turn, contributes to the well-being of the community. 7. Mature trees regulate water flow and play a key role in preventing floods and reducing the risk of natural disasters. A mature
2. c) Attachment evergreen tree, for instance, can intercept more than 15, 000 liters of water per year . 8. Trees also help to reduce carbon emissions by helping to conserve energy. For example, the correct placement of trees around buildings can reduce the need for air conditioning by 30 percent, and reduce winter heating bills by 20-50 percent. 9. Planning landscapes with trees can increase property value by up to 20 percent and attract tourism and business. Thank you for your careful consideration of the value in protecting the trees in our environment.
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