One way to make a big impact is to plant a tree

“I don’t plant trees.” 

So said Bill Gates onstage at The New York Times’ recent climate summit. 

He added that it was “complete nonsense” to think that tree planting could solve climate change, and didn’t mince words about how he felt about that notion: 

“Are we the science people or are we the idiots?”

. . .“Even if you could plant a trillion trees—which would never happen, it’s more realistic to say maybe a tenth of that—the trees will only remove 6% of what’s needed to be removed by 2050,” says Andrew Jones, executive director of Climate Interactive, which uses a climate modeling platform built in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology called En-ROADS.

The calculation may be debatable, though. Jones says that it takes decades for trees to be able to remove a significant amount of CO2. 

• But DeWitt says that significant carbon removal can happen within years in the tropics, and he believes that the platform’s estimate may be conservative. 
• DeWitt also says that more land is available for planting than the model assumes, because the biggest opportunity to add trees is on existing farms.
• Companies shouldn’t use tree planting in their climate strategies, he argues, or tell customers that they can offset the emissions from a purchase by paying extra to plant, say, 10 trees. 

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Mesa has been a leader in implementing sustainable practices for many years. 

In 2021, the city launched a Climate Action Plan(External link) with bold but attainable goals. As a city, we have already begun shifting our operations to reduce our impact on the environment. Through small steps and changes, everyone can play a part in helping our community reach our Climate Action goals.

One way to make a big impact is to plant a tree. In addition to beautifying yards, parks, and shared spaces, trees have a significant role to play in providing shade, filtering greenhouse gas emissions, and helping to cool our community. 

The Trees Are Cool initiative challenges every resident, community group and business to consider what they can do to help reach the goal of planting one million trees in Mesa by 2050. I encourage everyone to get involved in planting trees so we can maintain and grow a healthy, resilient community for generations to come.

Help Us Grow a Cooler Community

The Trees Are Cool initiative will increase Mesa’s tree canopy coverage and help mitigate the effects of climate change. Help us achieve this goal by recording your newly planted trees.

(External link)

Tree Planting Priority Map

The interactive map below illustrates tree planting priority areas by census block. It was created by analyzing six priority indicators.*
Click on the census blocks to view the data and use the tools in the top right to view additional reference layers.

*Average Temperature(External link), Mesa Fire and Medical Heat-Related Incidents, Percent Unemployed, Percent Over 65, Percentage Under 200% Poverty and Percent Minority(External link).

Page last updated: 28 Aug 2023, 10:41 AM

Mayor Announces “Trees Are Cool” Initiative

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By Staff | on February 26, 2023

By City of Mesa

Mesa Mayor John Giles announced the “Trees are Cool” initiative to 

• increase shade across Mesa, 
• lower the urban heat island effect in our neighborhoods and 
• cool our communities during the hot summer months. 

“Trees are Cool” challenges residents and businesses to help increase the City’s tree canopy coverage to 15 percent over the next 27 years. 

To reach this crucial milestone, Mesa has set a target of planting 1,000,000 trees in Mesa by 2050.

“Any meaningful Climate Action Plan in Mesa, Arizona must address heat mitigation, and trees have a significant role to play in providing shade, keeping temperatures low, and filtering greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mayor Giles. “I encourage everyone to get involved in planting new trees in Mesa.”

“Trees are Cool” supports Mesa’s Climate Action Plan and responds to feedback from community members about the City’s environmental goals. Mesa is addressing urban heat through strategies that help reduce daytime and overnight temperatures. . .

As part of the “Trees Are Cool” initiative, Mesa launched an online tool to record newly planted trees, including planting locations. This data, in tandem with the assessment of existing trees, will help the City track its efforts to reach the goal of 15 percent tree canopy coverage (and 1,000,000 million trees planted). Additionally, the page features a map showing Mesa neighborhoods at greater risk of heat impacts – which often correlates with lesser amounts of tree canopy – and provides helpful information on choosing, planting and caring for trees.
Trees are environmental superheroes, fight climate change in multiple ways and play a crucial role in creating healthier and more livable cities. They remove carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, absorb and clean our air of other pollutants and help reduce and clean stormwater runoff. Besides cooling our neighborhoods and making our streets more walkable, they also reduce energy consumption and even save water when the tree of choice is a desert-adapted variety.
For additional information about the tree project and to record your new tree, visit https://www.mesalistens.com/trees-are-cool.

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Instead, they should focus on directly cutting emissions as much as possible—and potentially avoid offsets completely

[Source Photos: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images, Michael Benz/Unsplash]   Bill Gates says it’s ‘complete nonsense’ that planting trees can solve climate change. Here’s why we should do it anyway Read More →