Whether someone is living in a city or a rural area, trees are helping them survive. Not only do trees mitigate climate change, such as through carbon sequestration, but they are also home to thousands of species and provide numerous resources to humans. Unfortunately, forests, wetlands, and green spaces are disappearing at alarming rates around the world today.
In the past few years, Chicago has been experiencing intense heat waves and air pollution from forest fires and other particulate matter. At the same time as record-setting temperatures are occurring in Midwestern cities, the urban tree canopy in Chicago has been shrinking. According to Climate Central, "Urban tree canopy improves air quality by removing harmful gases from the air and storing CO2." This natural process is called carbon sequestration, and it is essential to regulating air quality.
In Chicago, 21% of the city is green space and 16% is tree coverage. Lots of the city, however, is covered in skyscrapers and roads. Given the heat waves Chicago has already been dealing with, losing more city trees and green spaces will continue raising temperatures because of increased carbon emissions and the urban heat island effect.
Insects, pests, and pathogens have heavily contributed to the loss of canopy coverage in Chicago since 2010. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot worked with environmental organizations to plant thousands of trees each year, but they are still dying at a faster rate than they are being planted. Additionally, new development projects mitigate the positive impact that environmental organizations can have.
The Northern side of Chicago has been able to plant more trees and greenery over the past few years, while Chicago's Southern side has not had all the same resources. Organizations such as Openlands, Friends of the Parks, and initiatives like Our Roots Chicago highlight that it is possible to prevent urban heat islands.