London to Plant 2 Million Trees by 2025

London’s mayor announced a new 2 million tree plan to help fight climate change and keep Londoners cool.

The plan is designed to counteract the “urban heat island effect” in which urban areas absorb and release more heat than surrounding areas, due to having more pavement, traffic and power demand.

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The mayor’s environmental adviser expressed concern over London’s rising ambient temperature, prompting the new plan. Climate projections have shown that average summer temperatures in London could be some 3.9C higher than today by 2080, and as much as 6C to 10C on the hottest days, reports The Guardian.

But by significantly increasing greenery throughout the city, those warming trends could be offset. Studies have shown that a 10% increase in London greenery would be required to completely counteract the heat, but in typical political fashion, the 2 million more trees planned for London would only increase tree cover by half of that. Still, it’s a good start and an important first step.

Other measures are also being encouraged and considered, such as including more green roofs for buildings, and possibly paying homeowners to recycle.

Source: The Guardian

Image Credit: james_jhs on Flickr under a CC License

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