Planting 100 Million Trees to Cool the Greenhouse Effect

In response to “Cool the Greenhouse, Plant 100 Million Trees . . .” by R. Neil Sampson; “With a Forest for Los Angeles” by Andy Lipkis, and “As the World Warms: A Talk With UC’s Revelle” by Kay Mills, Opinion, Oct. 16:

Not only is it imperative that more trees are planted, but we must also nurture those trees which are already growing and putting precious oxygen into our air. It is not enough for us in this country to decry the destruction of millions of acres of precious rain forests in other countries, but we must begin to protect our own valuable forests from the clear-cutting practices that wipe out whole forests, often in the name of progress. As I flew over vast areas of Oregon and Washington last month, I felt pity for my earth as I looked down at huge patches of skinned earth where every remnant of forest had been removed by logging operations. There are also many trees in our urban areas that are desperately in need of our protection right now. Many large and magnificent trees are being denuded in the name of some kind of modern tree trimming (butchering) practices which amputate the soul of the tree, leaving only a few scrawny branches with a tuft of leaves at the end of the few remaining branches. I have seen many such amputated trees eventually just die. We must allow our urban trees to grow and offer us the shade and oxygen they are prepared to give if we let them do it.

ULA PENDLETON

Los Angeles