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quote"Some photographers take reality... and impose the domination of their own thought and spirit. Others come before reality more tenderly and a photograph to them is an instrument of love and revelation."
Ansel Adams
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Rainforest Facts
Rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth's landmass (2% of the Earth's total surface), yet they contain more than half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects!The density of species is so great that one hectare (2.47 acres) may contain over 750 types of trees, and 1500 other varieties of plantsSadly, experts estimate that we are losing 137 plant, animal, and insect species every single day due to destruction of the rainforests. That’s about 50,000 species a year being lost forever.As they disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases. 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from ingredients in the rainforests, yet scientists have only tested about 1% of the plants in the forests.There are indigenous people who know about these plants, and pass the information from generation to generation. Unfortunately their homes are being destroyed and they are being forced off the land that has sustained them for thousands of years.About 2,000 trees per minute are cut down in the rainforests. As roads are cut deep into the forest to get to the timber, poor settlers follow and settle all along the roads. These settlers often set fires to clear the forest for farming. As rich as the rainforests are in some ways, it makes terrible farmland. Most of the nutrients of a rainforest ecosystem are stored in its vegetation rather than in its soil.The result is nearly complete erosion in a few years. The settlers then pick up and move deeper into the forest to start the process over again.
Television:
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Interesting FactsIn Milwaukee, where urban trees cover about 16 per cent of the city, trees reduce stormwater flows by 22 per cent. The city saves an estimated $15.4 million by avoiding the construction of additional retention capacity.In Austin, heavy rains make stormwater management a priority issue. Austin's tree canopy, almost twice that of Milwaukee's at approximately 30 per cent, reduced stormwater flow by 28 per cent, providing the city with an estimated $122 million in savings (MacDonald, 1996).Several investigators have documented dramatic (30 - 50%) differences in cooling-energy use between houses on landscaped and un-landscaped sites (Akbari, 2002).Hurricane Hugo devastated Charleston, South Carolina, in 1989. Little was spared: homes, churches, power lines, and the urban forest were all heavily damaged or destroyed. 200 residents were asked to identify the single most special physical feature of Charleston damaged or destroyed by Hugo. People identified the urban forest more often than any other aspect of Charleston ( i.e. more than churches, historic buildings or homes) (Vigo, 1990).Computer simulations using standard building and tree configurations for cities across the U.S. indicate that shade from a single well-placed, mature tree (about 25-ft crown diameter) reduces annual air conditioning use 2 to 8 percent and peak cooling demand 2 to 10 percent (Simpson and McPherson, 1996).A major study of Chicago estimated that trees in that city annually removed 15 metric tons of carbon monoxide, 84 tons of sulfur dioxide, 89 tons of nitrogen dioxide, 191 tons of ozone, and 212 tons of small particulates. The estimated value of this pollution removal was $1 million for trees in the city itself and $9.2 million for the entire Chicago area (Nowak, 1994).The ambient air temperature difference between an urban heat island and a vegetated area can be as much as 2-10 degrees F. The temperature measured directly above man-made surfaces can be as much as 25 degrees F hotter than the air temperature beneath a forested area (Akbari et. al., 1992; Simpson and McPherson, 1996).Using the city of Davis, California as a model, existing data on the benefits and costs of municipal trees were applied to the results of a sample inventory of the city’s public and private street trees. Results indicate that Davis maintained nearly 24,000 public street trees that provided $1.2 million in net annual environmental and property value benefits, with a benefit–cost ratio of 3.8:1 (Maco and McPherson, 2003).From: http://www.treelink.org*************************************
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Heroes:
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Trees have countless benefits to us, our cities and the wider environment. Here are just a few:TREE FACT 1: A large beech tree can provide enough oxygen for the daily requirements of ten people.TREE FACT 2: Trees have a positive impact on the incidence of asthma, skin cancer and stress related illness by filtering out polluted air, reducing smog formation, shading out solar radiation and by providing an attractive, calming setting for recreation.TREE FACT 3: Tree planting strengthens communities by providing people with an opportunity to work together for the benefit of the local environment.TREE FACT 4: Trees can save up to 10% of energy consumption through their moderation of the local climate.TREE FACT 5: 1 hectare of woodland grown to maturity and looked after forever would absorb the carbon emissions of 100 average family cars driven for one year. Climate Care/Trees for Cities estimate.TREE FACT 6: Property in tree lined streets is worth 18% more than in similar streets without trees, according to a survey in Chicago.TREE FACT 7: Trees help to lock up the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.TREE FACT 8: Trees play a vital role in the urban ecosystem, by helping to support a great variety of wildlife.TREE FACT 9: Trees reduce noise in cities by acting as a sound barrier.TREE FACT 10: Trees and green spaces significantly reduce the stress of urban living.*****************************************************
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