Potentially Life-Saving Benefits of Planting Trees in Urban Settings

A New Jersey-based stay-at-home parent with a focus on investing, Damon Grandbouche serves as an adjunct facilitator of social emotional learning and risk management at Princeton-Blairstown Center. Damon Grandbouche is also a regular supporter of the Arbor Day Foundation and enjoys planting trees in his free time.

There are numerous benefits to planting trees, but in recent years a number of studies have reflected the importance of doing so in urban areas. In fact, a 2016 paper published by The Nature Conservancy detailed how living near nature can improve health and even save lives. Building on the notion that planting trees in cities can lead to a reduction in air pollution and cooler temperatures, the authors of the study calculated that a worldwide investment of $3.2 billion in 245 of the largest cities, or $4 per resident, could facilitate a reduction in pollution-related deaths by as much as 8.7 percent. That amounts to 36,000 lives every year. 

Moreover, the study showed how that level of investment would also cut 13 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions and save as much as 48 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. Cleaner air and lower temperatures would significantly contribute to a better living environment, especially in Karachi, Pakistan and Dhaka, Bangladesh, where researchers noted tree-planting investments would see the greatest return in regard to pollution and temperature reduction.

The Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA Program

The founder of the Coyote Coffee Company and a former executive with Concentra Managed Care, Damon Grandbouche has made a living through self-directed investments since 2004. Beyond his varied professional pursuits, Damon Grandbouche is a supporter of the Arbor Day Foundation (ADF).

Committed to making the world a better and cleaner place, ADF operates numerous programs designed to inspire individuals, communities, and corporations to plant more trees. One of ADF’s flagship programs is Tree City USA, which provides a framework for communities to expand the number of trees in their neighborhoods.

Since the launch of the program in 1976, more than 3,400 communities in the United States have earned “Tree City USA” status by meeting the required standards of urban forestry management, which include establishing and maintaining a community tree ordinance. Communities are also required to celebrate Arbor Day and spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry.

Benefits of planting more trees include a boost in property values throughout the community and a reduction in energy costs. Studies have indicated that planting as few as three more trees around every building in the country could save upwards of $2 billion per year in energy costs.