In recent months, citizens have had to fight in several places in Belgium to leave trees in their streets. But they lost the battle because the trees had to make way for the car or tram, while there were trees over 75 years old. City councils also seem to forget how important such trees are for air quality, but also for temperature control in the city.
As Spain takes a breath after yet another brutal summer heatwave, with temperatures above 40C in many parts of the country, the residents of the sherry-making town of Jerez de la Frontera have come up with a novel way to keep the streets cool.
Green canopies of grapevines festoon the town, reducing street-level temperatures by as much as 8C.
“We’re planting vines in the old city because we hope that in two or three years we’ll be able to brag that this has put an end to stifling temperatures,”
said Jesús Rodríguez, president of Los Emparrados, a group of residents who aim to beautify and green the city’s streets.
For decades the local sherry producers have kept their wineries cool with emparrados (vine arbours) but now the practice has been extended to a cluster of streets in the old town.
Not only are vines part of the essence of Jerez, they also have several advantages over trees. They need to be watered only in the first two years and they are deciduous, letting in the winter sun between November and March. Within three years of planting they will form a complete canopy over a narrow street.
Stephen Burgen in Barcelona
With full attention, we listen to a poem by the American poet Dwight L. Roth, who grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania and now lives with his wife Ruth near Monroe, NC, spending his time painting and writing.
~ “Trees don’t ask if they are, they do, they transform the air around them and make life better.”
~Aaron Guile – (https://ourprocess.wordpress.com/category/poetry/)
Trees stand tall on the landscape of humanity
Rooted deep in the compost of rotten life
Yet all the while rising above society
Breathing out life’s breath over toil and strife
Trees have little to say as they bask in the breeze
*
Soaking in sunlight light to grow, recycle, and be
They’re Nature’s force for good to all humanity
Productive and self-giving an example to you and me
In our world today there’s division all around
*
We must stand tall above divisive hate
Compost its evil rhetoric into the ground
Absorb positive light and share open debate
*
Ideologies and religion can co-exist
If we listen to one another without a closed fist
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
I’ve posted something very similar on my Italian blog, yesterday, but I want to do it again here, because…
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