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submitted 7 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Phoenix broke several heat records last year. Now Grant Park, which has inequitable tree cover, is seeing a tree planting drive that promises some respite from 100F temperatures

It was a relatively cool spring day in Phoenix, Arizona, as a tree planting crew dug large holes in one of the desert city’s hottest and least shaded neighborhoods.

Still, it was sweaty backbreaking work as they carefully positioned, watered and staked a 10-ft tall Blue palo verde and Chilean mesquite in opposite corners of resident Ana Cordoba’s dusty unshaded backyard.

“If I ever retire, I’d like to be able to spend more time outside. The weather is changing, so I am really happy to get these trees. We need more shade,” said Cordoba, 75, a legal secretary, whose family has lived in Grant Park for more than a century.

Over the course of three days in early April, arborists planted 40 or so desert adapted trees in Grant Park, as part of the city’s equity-driven heat mitigation plan to create a shadier, more livable environment amid rising temperatures and hundreds of heat related deaths.

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[-] uberdroog@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago

Everything is concrete, asphalt, and sand. Good luck.

[-] KidnappedByKitties@lemm.ee 12 points 7 months ago

Doesn't actually take long to greenify a city, but you need the will and resources for it, and it will inconvenience people until they adapt to a new usage of the public/common areas.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

Should Phoenix be greenified? It's in the middle of a desert. Maybe people should just be encouraged to relocate. In my pipe dream, the poor would even be subsidized to do so.

[-] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

Ideally you don't have this where way too many people live in a place that can't support them. That said, even if the population goes way down to a healthier level I don't think it's bad to plant desert appropriate trees.

[-] BruceTwarzen@kbin.social 3 points 7 months ago

What even are desert appropriate trees? I remember a few years ago i was watching some guy making a skateboarding video in either phoenix or las vegas, he was walking around looking for spots and stuff. The place looked like an actual nightmare. It was all concrete blocks, roads and buildings. Like he talked about how hot it was abd that there is no shade at this time of the day. Like i was never in a desert or desert city, i live next to a forest. I was actually wondering how long he would have to drive to find like 3 trees. It gave me the weirdest anxiety and i can't even imagine living there.

[-] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I'm not an expert but my understanding is desert trees are adapted to be tougher, retain moisture longer and flower/leaf based on rain patterns vs strictly following the season. Googling will bring up a bunch of results, here's one.

Phoenix used to have a ton of trees, but the problem was they had planted varieties that were inappropriate for the climate. From this page I see the city has a plan to have 25% tree cover by 2030. You can also see some old time pictures of all their trees.

[-] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

The trees they are using don't require too much water and thrive in the dry, arid year round temperature. If anything, this is a good experiment to see how well a space can be greenfield with minimal water use, since the area is going through a minor water crisis in its suburbs. Overall, it's a good thing to learn from. It sucks to be on the frontline of hard lessons but Phoenix will overcome.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

but Phoenix will overcome.

Will it? The Anasazi culture, partially based in Arizona, collapsed when water got too scarce. Trees are not the only thing that need water.

[-] BakerBagel@midwest.social 10 points 7 months ago

Phoenix is in the middle if the dryest part of North America. All their water gets piped in 400 miles from the Colorado river, which is running dry and unable to sustain the millions of people who rely on it. The only solution is people leaving the area for places actually fit for mass human habitation.

[-] KidnappedByKitties@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago

Fair. Scratch it up as a casualty of the climate collapse.

[-] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

But it's also a desert, famous for trees.

[-] baru@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

Plus loads of grass in gardens. Which needs a crazy amount of water.

[-] samus12345@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago
this post was submitted on 17 Apr 2024
115 points (98.3% liked)

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