TREES KEEP CITIES COOL

A recent study has found that trees can reduce land surface temperature in European cities by up to 12 degree Celsius.

Trees naturally cool the air by a process known as “transpiration cooling”. As trees release water into the atmosphere from their leaves via transpiration, the surrounding air is cooled as water goes from liquid to a vapour.

Trees also cool the air by providing shade. A tree’s canopy acts like a parasol, blocking out up to 90% of the sun’s radiation, and increasing the amount of heat that we lose to our surroundings by cooling the ground beneath us.

Trees reflect more solar radiation and store less energy than many artificial surfaces such as concrete and asphalt.

We need more trees in our towns and cities!