Save CEBU’s Trees 2: Trees Can Do Just About Everything
Welcome to Day 2 of Save CEBU’s Trees! Anytime in life when we have to make a decision, it is imperative to learn as much of the relevant facts that pertain to the situation. So that when all is said and done, we can claim that we made ‘an informed decision’.
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| ‘Super Tree’ Visit Forestopia & learn about the SUPER POWERS of Trees |
Today I share with my fellow Cebuanos the enormous value of trees. Hopefully, this blog will also make it to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson.
Trees Can Do Just About Everything.
Here are the top 10 ‘tree facts’
Info from ACTREES
- Trees give us oxygen, clean the air, and filter airborne pollutants.
- Trees conserve energy. Just three strategically placed trees can decrease utility bills by 50%.
- Trees can reduce annual storm water runoff by 2% — 7%.
- The net cooling effect of a healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.
- Trees clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides and other pollutants.
- Trees shade cars and parking lots, reducing ozone emissions from vehicles.
- Trees filter airborne pollutants and reduce the conditions that cause asthma and other respiratory problems.
- Children and youth living in greener neighborhoods have lower body mass index.
- Trees reduce noise pollution by absorbing sounds.
- Trees provide habitat for hundreds of species.
Tree Facts from ACTREES
Read more on TREEPEOPLE– they discuss the Top 22 Benefits of Trees
Here are some images I found on different websites that illustrate the benefits of trees. For those of you who wish to help create more awareness about the value of Cebu’s trees, I hope these images can be useful to you.
Image from earthgauge
Illustrated Benefits of Trees from yourleaf
Image from portlandoregon.gov
Image from shivasdaydream
Image from shivasdaydream
Q & A
PANGUTANA UG TUBAG
1. Did you know that Naga, San Fernando and Carcar get Free 20 hours air-conditioning?
Nahibalo ba mo nga ang mga lungsod sa Naga, San Fernando ug Carcar naay libreng aircon 20 oras sa matag adlaw?
The net cooling effect of a healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. So the towns N-SF-C- have natural air conditioners thanks to the trees that are now in danger of getting cut down to accommodate the proposed road widening project. So think of this: the 154 trees (that may be axed) x 10 room size aircon = 1,540 air cons –that’s the cooling power of those trees along the Naga to Carcar highway.
Ang kabugnawon nga mahatag sa usa ka himsog nga kahoy kay sama sa 10 ka aircon nga gadagan ug 20 oras matag adlaw. Hunahunaa ang 154 ka kahoy (nga buot nilang putlon)i-multiply ka-napu (x 10), ang pasabot ana 1,540 ka aircon ang kakusgon ug kabugnawon nga mahatag anang mga kahoy nga galaray sa dalan gikan Naga hangtud ngadto sa Carcar.
2. When they widen the road, will the quality of life of the residents of these towns be so much better? Kung molapad na ang dalan aning mga lungsora, mas motawhay ba ug monindot ang pagpuyo sa mga lumulupyo aning mga dapita sa Sugbu?
The absolute opposite…the quality of life will be terrible! I’ll tell you why by sharing with you some tree facts …In a year, one tree absorbs 750 gallons of storm water (sparing these towns of major floods), and filters 60 pounds of pollutants from the air (reducing the conditions that cause asthma & other respiratory problems). Trees also reduce noise pollution by absorbing sounds (keeping these places habitable even when there is a constant flow of noisy vehicles). Should they insist on cutting down those trees that line the highway of Naga-San Fernando-Carcar..residents in these towns can expect flooding, severe pollution, an increase in the number of sufferers of asthma and other respiratory ailments, sleepless nights. Oh and let’s not forget the added 0’s in their power bills – as they will need 24 hours of air-conditioning just to survive the heat, dust and noise that once were naturally absorbed by the trees day and night (and for free!)
Ang tubag ana kay bali ang mahitabo…inig kaputol sa mga kahoy, pait kaayo ang kinabuhi. Sa akong pagpasabot kinanglan nato hisgutan (ug baybayon) ang kamatuoran mahitungod sa mga kahoy. Matag tuig ang usa ka kahoy mosuyop ug 750 ka galon nga tubig sa unos (pasabot dili baha-on ang inyong dapit), salaan siya sa mga 60 ka libra nga kontaminador sa hangin (pasabot makamenos sa kadaghanon sa adunay asthma ug uban pang sakit sa baga sa inyong dapit). Ang mga kahoy kay mosuyop sa kasaba sa palibot. Mao ng kung tinood idayon ang pagputol aning mga kahoy nga galaray sa kilid sa dalan sa Naga-San Fernando ug Carcar, pasabot kinanglan mangandam ang mga lumulupyo aning mga dapita ug baha, polusyon, pagdaghan sa mga kaso sa hubak ug lain-laing mga sakit sa baga ug sa pag-ginhawa, ug walay tulog ang kadaghanan. Dili nato hikalimtan nga daku na pud kaayo ug bayranan sa koryente kay manginahanglan na ang mga tawo ug 24 oras nga aircon aron lang sila makasugakod sa init, abog ug saba nga sa atong una salaon ug suyupon ra sa mga kakahuyan (libre pa gyud!)
The absolute opposite…the quality of life will be terrible! I’ll tell you why by sharing with you some tree facts …In a year, one tree absorbs 750 gallons of storm water (sparing these towns of major floods), and filters 60 pounds of pollutants from the air (reducing the conditions that cause asthma & other respiratory problems). Trees also reduce noise pollution by absorbing sounds (keeping these places habitable even when there is a constant flow of noisy vehicles). Should they insist on cutting down those trees that line the highway of Naga-San Fernando-Carcar..residents in these towns can expect flooding, severe pollution, an increase in the number of sufferers of asthma and other respiratory ailments, sleepless nights. Oh and let’s not forget the added 0’s in their power bills – as they will need 24 hours of air-conditioning just to survive the heat, dust and noise that once were naturally absorbed by the trees day and night (and for free!)
Ang tubag ana kay bali ang mahitabo…inig kaputol sa mga kahoy, pait kaayo ang kinabuhi. Sa akong pagpasabot kinanglan nato hisgutan (ug baybayon) ang kamatuoran mahitungod sa mga kahoy. Matag tuig ang usa ka kahoy mosuyop ug 750 ka galon nga tubig sa unos (pasabot dili baha-on ang inyong dapit), salaan siya sa mga 60 ka libra nga kontaminador sa hangin (pasabot makamenos sa kadaghanon sa adunay asthma ug uban pang sakit sa baga sa inyong dapit). Ang mga kahoy kay mosuyop sa kasaba sa palibot. Mao ng kung tinood idayon ang pagputol aning mga kahoy nga galaray sa kilid sa dalan sa Naga-San Fernando ug Carcar, pasabot kinanglan mangandam ang mga lumulupyo aning mga dapita ug baha, polusyon, pagdaghan sa mga kaso sa hubak ug lain-laing mga sakit sa baga ug sa pag-ginhawa, ug walay tulog ang kadaghanan. Dili nato hikalimtan nga daku na pud kaayo ug bayranan sa koryente kay manginahanglan na ang mga tawo ug 24 oras nga aircon aron lang sila makasugakod sa init, abog ug saba nga sa atong una salaon ug suyupon ra sa mga kakahuyan (libre pa gyud!)
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If after reading today’s post you remain indifferent, thinking you won’t be affected should these trees be cut since you don’t live in any one of these towns. Guess what? The benefits of these trees that are marked to be cut, go beyond the confines of N-SF-C, thus the damages and repercussions will also be far reaching, and believe it or not, they will reach you too. So say something, do something, this issue affects us all.
Kung pagkahuman ni ninyong nabasa ang akong gisulat karong adlawa wala lang gihapon mo nadutlan ug nagpabilin mo nga indiperente kay sa inyong hunahuna dili mo maapektohan kay layo ra mo sa Naga, San Fernando ug Carcar. Tag-ana??? Sama nga ang benepisyo ug kaayohan nga dulot aning mga kahoy nga buot nilang putlon kay layo kaayo ug maabtan (saylo ra kaayo sa dapit sa N-SF-C), ang kadaut pud nga mahitabo – dihang dayonon ang pagputol – layo-layo pud ang maabtan. Ug motoo ka man o dili, maabot ra gihapon na sa imo. Mao nga pagpakabana, angay naa kay isulti o buhaton, kay kani nga isyu moapekto kanatong tanan.
Here is a table I have made to quantify the benefits of the 154 trees that are marked to be axed to pave the way for the Naga-Carcar Road Widening Project: (Note: This is a conservative estimate.)
Sometimes, we all need some visuals to really see what it’ll be like to live in a world without trees. On a website called ARBOR DAY they do a good job demonstrating what it’s like to be with and without trees.
The WORLD with TREES…
- sheltered farmsteads – sheltered (protected from bad weather), farmstead ( a farm and its buildings).
- forested slopes – slopes with forest cover are more stable and prevent surface erosion and landslides Info Source
The WORLD without TREES…
- silty, flood-prone rivers- *Deforestation causes erosion of mineral topsoil and increases the silt load of the river.Info Source What is SILT? fine mud and clay Is it harmful? Silt can cause cloudiness and can result in a variety of harmful impacts to fish and fish habitat –Read more And where rivers have been made shallow by heavy silt deposits, flooding is more likely (even flash floods)
- unprotected farmsteads – farms & its buildings are not protected from bad weather
- rapid runoff– no trees= nothing to absorb storm water= water will flow quickly onto drains and streams= reducing groundwater recharge =lowering water table= severe DROUGHT Read more *The loss of vegetation on slopes can lead to more rapid run-off into rivers and so increase the risk of flooding Info Source
- gullied farmland– A farmland that has deep ditches or channels cut in the earth by running water after a prolonged downpour. Info Source
Don’t Turn Cebu into this:
Going back to the original statement on this post, Do you now agree that “Trees Can Do Just About Everything”?
I say NO, because they cannot speak for themselves. They cannot warn us that if we ax them we will make a terrible mistake. They cannot tell us that we will regret such an action for the rest of our lives and that future generations will curse us forever for having done so.
Let’s Save Cebu’s TREES!
Let’s make an appeal to DENR Secretary Ramon Paje and DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson to lift the order to cut the majestic mature trees that dot the Cebu highway along the towns of Naga, San Fernando and Carcar to make way for a road-widening project. Please CLICK HERE to join the signature campaign initiated by local tour guide Ka Bino Guerrero on change.org and support the efforts of the Philippine Earth Justice Center, headed by environmental lawyer and activist Gloria Estenzo Ramos, to save Cebu’s heritage trees.
My question now is: Why do we have to widen the highway anyway? Will widening the road really ease traffic congestion in the south? Let’s look at other options in the coming posts this week here on Daily Dose of Art!
“A tree uses what comes its way
to nurture itself.
By sinking its roots deeply into the earth,
by accepting the rain that flows towards it,
by reaching out to the sun,
the tree perfects its character
and becomes great…
Absorb, absorb, absorb.
That is the secret of the tree.”
Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao
DAILY DOSE OF ART 
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