By SHARON McMAHON
Be Well
“They took all the trees, put ‘em in a tree museum / And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see ‘em / Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone / They paved paradise, put up a parking lot” – Joni Mitchell, Ladies of the Canyon album, 1970
Okay, Readers – you may wonder about this selected quote as my submissions for my “Be Well” series are focused on fitness and nutrition. Well …you may also recall that my last column, “Give bees a chance”, addressed the importance of bees and other pollinators in our health, and frankly, in our very existence.
The same can be said for trees, which are essential for our well-being. There is a reason trees are often called “the lungs of the world.” A tree has the ability to provide an essential of life for all living things on our planet: Oxygen, and the power to remove harmful gases like carbon dioxide, making the air we breathe healthier. You may be thinking … yes, yes, I sat through biology class and understand the concept of photosynthesis, etc., etc. Me too! (Mr. Wesley Abel, Noblesville High School, 1964/65)
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service, in one year a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange. It is proposed that one large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people. What is the cost of this essential, life-giving gift? The cost is recognition of the importance of trees and our mission to make certain that these God-given resources provided for our well-being are preserved.
A human breathes about 9.5 tons of air in a year, but oxygen only makes up about 23 percent of that air, by mass, and we only extract a little over a third of the oxygen from each breath. That works out to a total of about 740 kilograms of oxygen per year. This is about seven or eight trees’ worth.1
We tend to hear/read/repeat the word “wellness” often these days, and good for us that we recognize the importance of care of our bodies and our psyches. However, wellness is much more that an exercise program, nutrition-focused eating, and mindful pursuits – all of which are vitally important. The pollinators, the trees and other plants, our waterways, and our atmosphere are equally important.
I was 20 years old when Joni Mitchell recorded “Big Yellow Taxi” from which the above lyrics were taken. At that time the concept of a “tree museum” seemed rather science fiction-oriented. Let us hope we never see that option come to fruition. So please, give trees a chance! The next time you take a deep breath of air, give credit to a tree!
Sharon McMahon, CNWC
The opinions expressed in this article are not intended to replace advice of your personal physician or licensed health professional. Please consult your physician for any issues you may have related to nutrition or fitness activity.