The best place to live in the world is using its trees to call attention to global warming, according to the news agency Reuters.
The city council in Melbourne, Australia approved a new initiative that calls attention to global warming by asking locals to send an email to their favorite tree, pointing out problems, like low-hanging branches or not enough water.
Each of Melbourne’s 77,000 trees is on an interactive map, so anyone with a fondness for a tree can email the local government and report any problems.
But the campaign has taken a quirky turn. Tree lovers in Melbourne are writing love letters to their favorite tree. According to Reuters, one love note read: “Dear Tree, if you are that big, round, beautiful low-hanging tree, I think you are my favorite tree. Keep up the good work.”
Reuters says that climate change is expected to cause a rise in temperature that is expected to outpace global warming worldwide.
Almost a quarter of Melbourne’s trees are expected to die by the end of the decade. By 2030, it is anticipated that almost 40 percent of the city’s trees will succumb to the warmer climate.
Australia’s national science agency says that the country faces a rise in temperature of more than 9 F by the end of the century.
The stately plane trees that populate downtown Melbourne, although drought-resistant, are being replaced because they shed leaves during long periods of high temperatures. To combat global warming, the city council has approved the planting of 3,000 new trees a year to double the forest canopy by 2040, which will help cool the city 4 F, according to Reuters.
In case you missed it, we featured Melbourne in our article, “Best Place to Live in the World.” Australia’s second largest city, with a population of nearly 4 million people, perennially tops the list of best places to live in the world.
