Green Plants, Life Savoir of Your City: Now More Than 8 Times Than Usual

A new study over the effectiveness of green plants in combating with pollutant gases and other air and noise pollution, has been conducted recently. The study reveals some positive and hopeful results at least for the so degraded and polluted environment across the planet and now it’s on our part to cash it. According to the study report:

plants, trees, bushes and other greenery growing in the concrete-and-glass streets of cities can reduce levels of two of the most worrisome air pollutants by eight times more than previously believed, a new study has revealed.

The report also explains that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and microscopic particulate matter (PM) - both of which can be harmful to human health - exceed safe levels on the streets of many cities.

Past research suggested that trees and other green plants could improve urban air quality by removing those pollutants from the air. However, the improvement seemed to be small, a reduction of less than 5 percent.

The study appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology, concluded that judicious placement of grass, climbing ivy and other plants in urban canyons can reduce the concentration at street level of NO2 by as much as 40 percent and PM by 60 percent, much more than previously believed.

Research is of course encouraging for various green movements and plantation programs worldwide. Trees next to high ways are also capable of reducing the noise pollution by great margin for people residing in the proximity of the highways. So its deciding time for all of us to what to choose and what to save.

In the mean time a very great news and hope for devastating environment of Indian cities came from recently declared “Green City”, Gandhinagar Gujarat.   

Gandhinagar - could well be India's tree capital. The latest figures of a census conducted by the state government show that 53.9% of its 5,700-hectare area is covered with trees. Effectively, there are 416 trees for every 100 people in the city. This is more than any other city in the country. Gandhinagar's tree cover is comparable with the best in the world.

But Ahmedabad does not enjoy the same where there are just 11 trees for every 100 people. While there are as many as 8.66 lakh trees in the state capital, the population is just 2.08 lakh people. At this rate, there is 15 sq m land of trees for every person.

According to Forest Survey of India, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Delhi have a green cover of 18.9%, 14.9% and 11.9%, respectively.

 ACT NOW PROTECT THE FORESTS

It’s time to act as you have seen above how important these plants and our forests are for our life, for our planet and environment. Save Forest is a campaign run by Greenpeace India. Do participate in it give your much needed support and full fill your responsibility.

"Only when I saw the Earth from space, in all its ineffable beauty and fragility, did I realize that humankind's most urgent task is to cherish and preserve it for future generations."~ Sigmund Jahn (German Cosmonaut). 


Share your green story and event you have seen around your place or participated in or your views over the issues.

• Share

For Further Reading »

Green city, Green Tree, Greenpeace, Pollution