Climate change is real, so what can local communities do to reduce the impact?  

People understand that deforestation on a global scale increases carbon pollution and that in turn results in global warming. Do we recognise solutions don’t need to be on a global scale?

There are lots of benefits to planting in urban environments. We know for a fact that plants can reduce extreme heat or cold, reduce wind, filter pollutants, and slow water build up reducing erosion and flood issues - among other things. This is called urban greening.

Planting trees and building green walls and roofs can reduce temperatures by as much as 7oC in extreme heat; and maintain temperatures up to 7oC higher in extreme cold.  These are reasons why urban greening has been gaining increasing attention.

Learning to choose and grow plants around where you work and live is an important skill that everyone needs to learn.

> For improving your own immediate environment at home and work.

>As a career opportunity – in environmental management, parks, urban planning, construction industries, land rehabilitation etc

Fact 1: Built surfaces like roads, pavements and the roofs and walls of buildings are considerably warmer than the air temperature.

Fact 2: Differences in temperature are particularly pronounced on hot summer days when even the air temperature can be much warmer after sunset when compared to rural location temperature.

Fact 3: High ground temperatures result in the formation of higher amounts of ozone at ground level.

Fact 4: Demand for power increases as people try to cool their homes with fans or air conditioning.

Fact 5: Pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury and particulate matter saturate the surrounding environment through increased emissions.

Fact 6: Rainwater which passes over heated pavements and roofs ends up in storm water drains. These usually feed into areas which are home to aquatic life forms and any increase in the water temperature can interfere with reproduction and metabolic processes.  

Indoor plants can make a significant contribution to the "health" of an indoor environment: they help replenish oxygen in the air and help filter dust particles and pollution from the air. Several studies on indoor pollution have proven that plants eliminate what is known as the ‘sick building syndrome’.

Common sources of these pollutants are:

> Carpets

> Vinyl and rubber

> Wood made from pressed particles

> Office machinery (such as photocopiers)

> Gases created by cooking and cleaning products

> Pesticides

It is suggested that interior plants can:

> improve staff morale in workplaces in turn improving productivity and job satisfaction.

> reduce noise - plants also absorb sound in large spaces – making a space more inviting.

> project a sense of an attractive, healthy environment – to help reduce stress and encourage calm

> aid patient recovery and lower blood pressure of patients and staff (in hospitals).

> cools the surrounding air and keeps indoor humidity at a comfortable level. This is particularly noticeable in large interior plantscapes.