Pasadena: apparently good for roses. trees.. not so much

I grew up in Pasadena.  In fact, I consider myself a second generation Pasadena girl. And, although, my mother technically grew up in La Canada, Colorado Blvd. was the place to be then, as it is now.

Anyone who has lived or visited this town can sense the history in every nook and cranny. Even though Pottery Barn attracts tourists, Le Sex Shoppe down the way announces our history.

That is why it is so devastating that a few blocks down, the Pasadena City Council cut down the ficus trees that have been in existence for as long as I can remember.  In all honesty, it is not so much that they were cut down, but how they were cut down.

 

This was the culmination of a plan that started ten years ago, that consists of removing 43 ficus trees from streets in the area.  The reasoning behind the removal is an alleged push by business owners in the area who are concerned with root destruction, as well as, what seems to be simple cleanliness issues (abundance of seed pods and residue from tree sap).  Last month, there was hope that a new vote would not pass, thereby saving the trees, but the wavering City councilman wavered the other way.

I am sure we will never know an exact time line of events, but the next decision on the part of the City Council is the one that seems the most devious.  Originally slated for an April removal, there was a decision to remove the oldest of the trees at 2 in the morning, last Friday, just hours before a scheduled protest by residents opposed to the tree destruction. I think that anyone who opposed the tree removal would feel less betrayed had there had been a reasonable discussion, and the opposition felt it had been heard.  

This does seem to have become a battle between residents and business owners, where the businesses have been winning.  Vroman’s Bookstore, established in 1894, is a central player in this particular district and the owner was very vocal in his support of the tree removal. However, many residents are asking people to use the power of money to influence change by not taking their business to the establishments in the area that supported the tree removal.  As a result, many owners, including Vroman’s, are now stating that they are disheartened by the decision of the City Council.

This however may backfire on them in another way, which is that the City Council feels betrayed and left to fend for themselves against the residents, and voters, of the town.  The businesses may suffer in the future, because of their side-stepping on their support of the tree removal by the council.

Since my focus is always about the environment, I feel it is important to say something about why the tree removal will do more harm than good.  I do believe that if the city had paid attention and cared for the ficus trees properly, they would probably never have been in this mess and the far reaching benefits of these trees would still be in place.  Old growth trees like this are fantastic for three things; shade, flood prevention and carbon capture.  

The shade and insulation provided by these trees is immeasurable.  Not only do they do a fantastic job of cooling the direct area underneath the trees, but the subsequent insulation provided to the neighboring buildings is immense.  So, now Vroman’s, or any other business, is going to be emitting even more CO2 with increased heating or cooling requirements by the simple fact that they do not have a tree either helping to cool in the summer, or by insulation in the winter.  

Obviously, I cannot say for certain, and only time will tell, but trees with large root structures are incredibly helpful in preventing floods.  The simple fact is that those roots and those trees need water.  In an area that is covered in cement, trees are indispensable in flood prevention, because all of the soil is covered.  As I said, this will remain to be seen.  I have no idea what the sewer and flood prevention system is like in this part of town.  Also, given that we are in a drought it may be a non-issue. However, time will tell if the tree removal has a disastrous effect on water absorption in the area.

Lastly, and most importantly, old growth trees are THREE TIMES more effective in trapping carbon dioxide than a new tree.  And to add insult to injury, an old growth tree, NEVER releases the carbon dioxide it has trapped.  We are in a race to trap greenhouse gases before they increase our planets temperature to unsustainable levels. To remove these trees without thought to see if there were other actions that could save these carbon sinks is irresponsible, to say the least.  When the world is doing its best to reduce emissions and meet new climate change goals, this decision seems irrational and petty.

In the meantime, we will have to wait and see what happens.  The last City Council meeting was rife with residents voicing their dissatisfaction with the elected officials and asked for a moratorium on future tree cutting.  One hopes that with information and a willingness to hear both sides of the argument, the Mayor and the City Council can make the best decision for the future.