Covering Urban Forests
Welcome to Locally Sourced, a biweekly Covering Climate Now newsletter for journalists working on local angles of the climate story. In each edition, we’ll suggest story ideas, offer reporting tips, and share examples to serve as inspiration. Vea la versión en español de “Fuentes Locales.”
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Story Spark: Urban Forestry
Globally, cities are increasingly investing in planting and caring for trees in response to climate change. In 2023, for example, the US Forest Service made more than $1 billion in grants, funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, to nearly 400 projects that aim to improve tree coverage in disadvantaged communities nationwide.
Why It Matters
Because of their concentration of buildings, roads, and other built infrastructure, which particularly retain heat, cities experience the heat island effect, causing some areas to be between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius hotter than surrounding greener areas. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the heat island effect, a problem being made worse and more urgent by climate change. Richer areas typically have more tree coverage than poorer, historically disadvantaged communities of color.
Recognized by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their dual role in helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change, trees draw down carbon and help to significantly cool surrounding areas, reducing the need for air conditioning, which cuts pollution and saves on energy costs. They also absorb water — crucial for cities, where paved surfaces prevent stormwater from being absorbed into the ground — helping protect against flooding.
Trees have plenty of physical and mental health benefits, including lowering stress and strengthening immune response. They also improve air quality by capturing pollutants like ozone and particulate matter, which are harmful to human health.
Successful urban forestry projects require robust planning, community engagement, and ongoing maintenance. Urban forestry is one of a suite of solutions to help cities build climate resilience.
Story Examples
- In Detroit, Mich., Brian Allnutt and Nina Ignaczak report for Planet Detroit on the need for tree equity plan, and in Indianapolis, Ind., WFYI’s Benjamin Thorp explains the city’s “tree equity score.”
- In Rochester, N.Y., Evan Dawson and Megan Mack at WXXI host a conversation on the benefits of trees, how local residents could get help planting trees in their communities, and how tree planting helps raise consciousness about climate change. Reporting tip: Follow WXXI’s example, and interview your city forester!
- In Evanston, Ill., The Evanston Roundtable’s Wendy Pollock dug into the climate and community benefits of old trees and examined how a city council ordinance to protect old trees on private property had “deep roots” in local history. (The ordinance passed.)
- In Medellín, Colombia, Peter Yeung reports for Reasons to Be Cheerful that the city’s “green corridors” project, started in 2021, has led to a 2-degree-Celsius temperature drop.
- In Miami, Fla., Alyssa Johnson unpacks why Miami-Dade County’s urban forestry program is struggling and the consequences for residents, for The Miami Herald.
- WSOCTV’s Michelle Alfini talks to experts about how trees could help cool some of Charlotte, N.C.’s hottest spots.
- In Paris, France, Euronews reports that the city is converting an old roundabout into an urban forest.
- Alex Brown explains for the New Jersey Monitor that tree planting programs face challenges such as navigating slow bureaucracies and post-planting maintenance issues.
Language for Journalists
“By cooling air and surface temperatures, trees reduce the health hazards of extreme heat. … Trees also slow and soak up rainfall; filter the air; and absorb harmful carbon pollution.” – Climate Central
By absorbing and storing planet-heating carbon, trees help slow climate change. The older the tree, the more carbon it can store. Trees also cool surrounding areas and help absorb excess rainwater, which reduces flood risks. – via CCNow
Reporting Resources
City list. Browse the US Forest Service list of nearly 400 IRA-funded grants to US cities and territories for urban and community forestry projects.
Global background & sources. “Urban Forests: A Global Perspective,” a report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, provides an overview of urban forestry efforts by world region. The cited organizations could be helpful for interviews.
Key facts. Climate Central’s “The Power of Urban Trees” report provides an overview of the benefits of urban forestry, as well as information on how climate change is affecting trees.
Reporting tool. For nearly 200,000 urban US neighborhoods, the nonprofit group American Forests has created Tree Equity Score maps that measure how well the benefits of urban tree canopy are reaching people and identify areas that need trees.
Before We Go…
Covering Climate Now’s program, The Climate Station, helps local US TV newsrooms do just that. We offer free, customized training to help local reporters, producers, and meteorologists strengthen their climate coverage. For inquiries, email Elena González at elena[at]coveringclimatenow[dot]org.
Please send us your local climate stories. We’d love to consider them for Locally Sourced and our media trainings and social platforms. Email local[at]coveringclimatenow[dot]org.
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