How trees pay us back

Growers, landscapers, arborists and the entire green industry understand that trees matter. Yet we sometimes undersell the power of this message. Though we hear a great deal about the greening of America, somehow this does not always translate to the original green industry for our customers. Instead “green” for most people tends to mean renewable energy, recycling, carpooling and hybrid vehicles -- all good things, but not what we mean by the green industry.   

 

This need not be the case and certainly is not our future. Not long ago, I attended a lecture by Michael Pollan, the author of Botany of Desire and In Defense of Food. It was a lecture in which thousands of college students were literally hanging over the balconies listening to his every word. At one point he proclaimed the importance of solar power. Was he talking about solar panels, energy policy, various engineering innovations? 

 

Not exactly. His next word was photosynthesis. Those students were on their feet with a huge roar, energized and inspired by the idea of green plants doing their thing, starting with the food chain. Imagine, rock concert-like vibes at the mention of photosynthesis and green plants, our industry’s life blood.

 

We are at a moment of truly transformational opportunity. Despite economic turmoil, there are key factors, in addition to the attention of our youthful future noted above, that make this our time for the green industry to be at the center of the sustainability movement.

 

Read the rest of this story here from our fabulous December issue.