WE
WE WILL
WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED THOUGH@ >>> COLUMBIA HAS EARNED THE DESIGNATION TREE CITY USA FROM
ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION FOR 41
YEARS WHICH IS LONGER4@4@ THAN Y
OTHER SOUTH CAROLINA CITY HAS
QUALIFIED FOR THE DESIGNATION.
TREES FILTER OUT POLLU4@TION IN
THE AIR AND4@ WATER.
THEY ARE VERY IMPOR4@TANT TO
CITIES.
HOW MANY TREES DOES IT TAKE TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
METEOROLOGIST, ALEX CALAMIA
FINDS A NUMBER THAT ACTUALLY
MI4@GHT SURPRISE YOU.4@4@
>> WE PLANT 500 TREES IN THE
RIGHT AWAY EVERY YEAR, AND HAS
FOR4@ A NUMBER
>> Reporter: IT IS AN EFFORTS,
FROM4@ THE CITY, TO COOL DOWN TE
TEMPERATURE, IMPROVE FLOOD
CONTROL, REDUCE EROSION4@ AND
PROTECT NATURE FROM OUR MESS.
>> AS WATER RUNS DOWN THE
PAVEMENT THAT PICKS UP
WHATEVER'S ON THERE.4@
>> Reporter: TREES TEMPLE
POLLUTANTS FROM THE AIR, WANT TO
KNOW HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE.4@
I VISITED THE LARGEST COLLECTION
OF PLANT SAMPLES IN THE STATE
WHICH IS TUCKED AWAY AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S
--4@
>> IF YOU THINK OF A PLANT TO
MO4@RGAN,4@ THAT IS
>> Reporter: THESE SMALL
PLANTS GIVE RESEARCHERS A BIG
PERSPECTIVE4@ ON HOW PEOPLE ARE
CHANGING THE FOREST AND HOW
TREES CAN CLEAN SOME OF OUR
MISTAKES.4@
>> THINK OF YOUR MOUTH OR YOUR
NOSE, IT'S OPENING THROUGH WHICH
THE PLANTS WOULD INTAKE GASES4@
AND RELEASE GASEOUS WASTE
PRODUCTS.
>> ONE OF THOSE GASES AS CARBON
DIOXIDE, THE SAME GAS THAT WARMS
OUR PLANETS TEMPERATURE AND
OTHER POLLUTANTS LIKE NITROGEN
AND OZONE4@ ARE TRAPPED INSIDE
TREES.
>> ESTIMATED THAT THIS TREE IS
AT LEAST 100 YEARS OLD.
>> AND IF YOU CALCULATIONS, WE
CAN FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH CARBON
DIOXIDE THE TREE HOLDS.
WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THIS
TAPE MEASURE?
>> IT'S A QUICK AND DIRTY WAY OF
GETTING THE DIAMETER OF THE
TREE.
WE MEASURE THAT AT BREAST
HEIGHT,4@ ABOUT 3.5 FEET OFF THE
GROUND.4@
>> WE MEASURE THE TREES HEIGHT
SAFELY FROM SOLID GROUND USING4@
RANGEFINDER INSTRUMENTS.
>> THEY WILL SHOOT AT THE TRUNK
OF THIS TREE BUT I WILL AIM IT
AT THE BASE OF THE TREE HERE.
AND THEN I AIM IT AT ONE OF
4@THOSE BRANCHES UP THERE.
>> THE TRUNK OF THE TREE IS
604@ FEET TALL AND ABOUT 3 FEET
THICK.
HOW MUCH CARBON IS THE SAVING
US?
>> IN THIS TREE RIGHT HERE4@,
LOCKED UP IN ITS WOOD IS4@ ABOUT
18,626 POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE@
OVERNIGHT TENTS.
>> P4@UTTING IT IN4@ PERSPECTIV,
THE EMITS ABOUT 5 TONS OF CARBON
DIOXIDE EACH YEAR ACCORDING TO
THE EPA.4@
THAT IS MORE THAN HALF AS MUCH
CARBON DIOXIDE THAT THIS
100-YEAR-OLD TREE4@ HAS STORED N
ITS ENTIRE LIFETIME.
>>4@ IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 55 TRES
THIS SIZE4@ TO OFFSET THE CARBON
EMISSIONS FROM ONE HOUSE CAR.
HERE IS FORMULA WE USE AS YOU
CAN SEE A WHOLE LOT OF
ARITHMETIC TO GET THE AMOUNT OF
CARBON DIOXIDE THAT IS INSIDE OF
A TREE TRUNK.4@
THIS IS EASY ENOUGH TO DO4@ WITH
THE KIDS.
ALL YOU NEED IS THE DIAMETER OF
THE TREE TRUNK WHICH IS ITS
THICKNESS.
AND WHICH YOU'RE EVENTUALLY
GOING TO GET IS THE WEIGHT OF
THE CARBON DIOXIDE4@ STORED AS
SUGARS, AND CARBS INSIDE OF THE
TREE TRUNK AS WELL AS ITS ROOTS,
TO.4@
WE HAVE ALL OF THIS ON OUR
WEBSITE WLTX.COM IF4@ YOU WANT O
GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND FIND
OUT HOW MUCH CARBON DIOXIDE IS
STORED IN YOUR OWN TREES.
THE LARGER TREES ARE REALLY
HELPFUL.
MAKE SURE YOU LET THOSE TREES
LIVE A LONG TIME.4@4@
>> THAT IS FASCINATING.
WE TALK SO MUCH DURING4@ THIS
POLITICAL SEASON WE TALKED ABOUT
THE ENVIRONMENT A LOT.
THERE YOU GO.
PLANT A TREE4@ AND IT WILL EAT P
SOME OF THE DAMAGE WE DO WITH
OUR CARS.
>> 55 TREES4@ TO MAKE UP WHAT WE
DO WITH ONE