For over a decade, a withered and sad twig has protruded from the tree bed on the sidewalk outside my Williamsburg apartment. Once a vibrant young tree, it now sits in the scorching sun, surrounded by litter and dog excrement. Finally, I decided to take action. Through the city’s Million Trees program, which aims to plant free trees across all five boroughs, I requested a new tree for my block. The automated response informed me that my service request had been sent to the Department of Parks and Recreation, with a response expected within 720 days.
Considering the significant role of trees in absorbing carbon from the air (each tree can absorb an average of 48 pounds of carbon annually according to the Arbor Foundation), waiting 720 days for a response during a “climate emergency” seems excessive. It has been 457 days since then, and I have yet to receive my tree or any response.
New York City was contemplating the prohibition of wood- and coal-fired pizza ovens as part of its effort to achieve environmental goals. Despite ample evidence that planting trees enhances quality of life, politicians in NYC have placed obstacles in the path of citizens who wish to cultivate urban gardens. It is bewildering to witness individuals who claim to love the environment do so little to genuinely improve it. In fact, many of them seem openly opposed to the idea. This holds especially true for big city Democrats who, paradoxically, embrace ugliness and sterility in their pursuit of a greener planet. Environmentalists, who were once dubbed as “tree-huggers” and donned “Save the Whales” t-shirts, now deface valuable artwork while turning a blind eye to the widespread destruction of trees and endangered marine mammals.
Disturbingly, the Scottish government recently admitted to felling 15.7 million trees since 2000 to make way for wind farms, all in the name of “green energy” and reaching “net-zero” carbon emissions targets. That is equivalent to approximately 1,700 trees being felled each day. Closer to home, activists argue that the contentious development of wind farms off the coasts of New Jersey and Long Island has contributed to a record number of whale strandings this year, including at least 14 humpback whales. It appears that while New York City bans plastic straws, shopping bags, and wood-fired pizza ovens due to environmental concerns, the idea of incentivizing gardening has eluded these climate warriors. Gardening not only helps combat carbon emissions and the heat island effect in cities but also enhances human well-being. How much more motivation do we need? Well-maintained gardens beautify our streets and deter criminal activities, as indicated by a study conducted in crime-ridden South Africa in 2022. It found that for every 1% increase in total green space, there was a corresponding 1.2% decrease in violent crime and a 1.3% decrease in property crime. Furthermore, gardening is a much healthier pastime than endless scrolling through doom-filled news or binge-watching Netflix.
However, gardening can be a costly endeavor, as many are well aware. Astonishingly, in New York City’s “green” crusade, sales tax is still imposed on trees, plants for stoops, backyards, sidewalk beds, and window boxes, as well as on soil, fertilizer, gardening tools, containers, and other necessary items. While grocery store produce remains tax-free, growing your own tomatoes or cultivating a bit of basil on your windowsill subjects you to Uncle Sam’s tax requirements. Moreover, just consider the carbon emissions associated with shipping vegetables to stores, not to mention the plastic packaging. If the city genuinely wanted to adopt greener practices, it would eliminate this tax and instead provide tax credits to individuals who are dedicated to maintaining green spaces.
Curiously, New York Democrats have acknowledged this issue through legislation, yet the benefits are limited to the wealthy and developers, rather than the average New Yorkers and renters. The city offers a “Green Roof” tax abatement of up to $200,000 for developers who incorporate at least 50% green space on the rooftops of new residential buildings. This allows developers to install trivial boxwoods on a rooftop and write off the expense under the guise of environmentalism. However, these shrubs on the 50th floor do not attract pollinators or benefit other wildlife. Additionally, the improved quality of life resulting from such green spaces only applies to the residents in those buildings, rather than benefiting those passing by on the streets.
While the pursuit of rooftop gardens should be commended, it tends to favor large-scale real estate developers rather than amateur green thumbs. Earth’s climate, alongside black holes and the human brain, remains one of the most intricate and least understood entities in the known universe. The science surrounding climate dynamics is far from settled. However, it is an established fact that plants have inherent benefits. Yet in the green agenda, greenery is frequently overshadowed. Perhaps it is time to rebrand it as the “cobalt agenda.”
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