|
 From The Editor
Another month gone and we are fully into winter today – the first
cold day this year. Let’s hope we have many more because I fully
believe it is the few cold days that we have each year that help us
get through the very hot months of October and November.
Just this week, whilst reading the column ‘Briefcase’ in the Times
of Zambia, I noticed a bit about some Lusaka residents who feel we
should remove the trees growing in Cairo Road for a number of
reasons – they are showing their age; that some other species of
trees could be more pleasant to look at and that the trees serve to
reinforce the appearance of congestion. What codswallop!! Granted,
the flamboyants are not indigenous to this country (and neither are
the jacarandas planted around Lusaka) but these trees, especially
when flowering do much to make Lusaka, which used to be called ‘The
Garden City’, a more attractive city. Certainly, they could be
replaced, but it will take a few decades for replacement trees to
reach a decent size as most of our indigenous trees are notoriously
slow growing
For those who don’t know, most of the trees along the road sides of
Lusaka were planted by the residents of Lusaka. Every Sunday, they
would be out on the streets, digging the holes and planting the
trees and during the week they would ensure that they got the water
they needed to become well established trees. This was their legacy
to today’s residents and whenever I drive down Lagos or Makishi
Roads, I thank these people for the work they did in the 50’s. The
gardens in Cairo Road (although they no longer exist, except for the
bit being maintained by Standard Chartered Bank – well done to them)
were planned and laid out by Ralph Saunders, the founder of Munda
Wanga. Whether he was responsible for planting the trees, I am not
sure, but what I am sure of is that he would not only turn in his
grave were he to read this, he would be rotating like a child’s
spinning top!! There is an African proverb which says ‘The best time
to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now’.
Perhaps those residents calling for the removal of the trees should
be taking note of the wisdom of their ancestors who originated this
proverb and should be out there planting trees rather than wanting
to destroy them.
As regards the trees serving to re-enforce the appearance of
congestion. Claptrap!! There are two reasons for the congestion.
One is that there are too many vehicles on Lusaka’s roads and the
council has not done anything to increase the infrastructure as the
city has grown. Two is that the driving in this town is so appalling
and the government bodies who are responsible for improving the
standard of driving, either through law enforcement or through
education, or who should be investing in mass transit systems, have
failed in their responsibilities.
Below are some statistics regarding trees, taken from the Arbor Day
Foundation’s web site (www.arborday.org),
on the value of trees to a community:
§
‘The net
cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten
room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day." -U.S.
Department of Agriculture
§
"Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as
much as 20 percent." -Management Information Services/ICMA
§
"One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out
four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18
people." -U.S. Department of Agriculture
§
"Trees can be a stimulus to economic development, attracting new
business and tourism. Commercial retail areas are more attractive to
shoppers, apartments rent more quickly, tenants stay longer, and
space in a wooded setting is more valuable to sell or rent." -The
National Arbor Day Foundation
§
"The planting of trees means improved water quality, resulting in
less runoff and erosion. This allows more recharging of the ground
water supply. Wooded areas help prevent the transport of sediment
and chemicals into streams." -USDA Forest Service
§
"In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has
produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as
indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension." -Dr.
Roger S. Ulrich Texas A&M University.
My only hope is that we are not going to have a repeat of what
seems to be typical here (remember the Dag Hammerskjold Stadium in
Ndola which was razed to the ground in the 80’s to make way for a
new stadium, which still remains unbuilt) where some bright spark in
the Council decides that the suggestion to remove the trees is a
good idea and gives some mate of his the contract to remove the
trees and turn them into charcoal.
Last month, the three complimentary copies of The Lowdown
which were posted to the Council were returned with a note stating
that their post box had been blocked (one assumes because of
non-payment of the annual rental). Because of this, I shall ensure
that their copies this month are hand delivered so that they can see
that there is some opposition to this absurd idea.
|
July 2005