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A HEALTHY GREEN SPACE BENEFITS US ALL
From NEWS CANADA
Climate change is a concern for gardeners – the weather is not just getting warmer – it is also extreme and erratic.
The best choice for gardening is to have a variety of plants. Annuals and perennials are good to plant as they can survive in a longer growing season.
Using mulch more often is a good tactic, as it conserves moisture and will support plants in drought. Mulch can reduce summer soil temperatures and keep them warm in winter to keep the roots of plants healthy.
Climate change also means an increase in rainfall. You will need to know flood tolerance of plants, as some can die after short periods of rain. Check out which plants need to be kept drier.
Plants are adept at adapting to the changing climate, but seeds collected from local environments seem to do better.
Another gardening suggestion is to try a rooftop garden. It’s a small step towards fighting the effects of climate change, but research has shown that rooftop greens can help absorb harmful greenhouse gases.
It is important to observe climate change and to be aware of how it is affecting us. Amnesty International is calling for worldwide action to combat climate change, which is not just threatening our existence, but risks impacting our human rights, including the right to life, health, food, water, housing, and livelihoods.
Xeriscapes, wood chips and synthetic turf are increasingly replacing lawns and gardens in many communities, but lawns are still an important part of our urban environment.
While some may choose to replace them to eliminate maintenance or as a personal design preference, those who love their lawns have good reasons for keeping them, including many environmental benefits.
Healthy turf produces an amazing amount of oxygen. A 50-by-50-foot area of turf creates enough oxygen every day for a family of four. Turf grass also acts as a natural air purifier by trapping and removing pollutants from the atmosphere. Your lawn even serves as a filtration system, reducing run-off and erosion from heavy rains and recharging groundwater supplies.
Perhaps most important in a world with rising temperatures, a lawn has the same cooling power as three or four air conditioning units, without the energy costs, reducing the temperature around your home by 4°C to 8°C. On hot days, a lawn will be significantly cooler by several degrees than synthetic turf or hard surfaces.
Healthy green space makes a tremendous contribution to our environment and provides outdoor recreation space suitable for children, pets and people of all ages. The key to realizing all of these benefits is to ensure green space is cared for sustainably. Read labels and follow directions when feeding plants and turf. Then kick back and enjoy the cool comfort of a soft place to rest or play, right in your own backyard.
More information at amnesty.ca.