Miami Is Getting Rid Of Its Palm Trees; Climate Change A Reason, Of Course

Miami Beach palm trees. If current plans go forward, there will
be slightly few palm trees and many more shade trees in
the future to bring relief to climate-related heat waves.

One of things Miami Beach is known for is all its palm trees swaying in what is usually a hot, humid breeze.  

As the Miami Herald reports, the city has about 50,000 trees, half of them palms. The newspaper states: "To help address the consequences of climate change, city leaders will cut back on the number of new palms in the city and add more eco-friendly shade trees to the Beach's canopy."

Miami Beach is joining many other municipalities in recognizing the importance of urban trees.

Trees in cities help combat the heat island effect, which is the point of exercise in Miami Beach.  

Asphalt, concrete, roofs and buildings collect the heat from the sun to make downtown a lot hotter than the countryside. All that heat collected during the day radiates out at night, keeping cities warmer overnight than in rural areas.

This is dangerous during heat waves. If you've had a horribly torrid day, and the night doesn't really cool off, then the health risks of the heat worsen.  Mortality goes up.

If a city plants a bunch of shade trees, that blunts the effects of the "heat island."

Although urban trees won't cure climate change, every tree absorbs carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.  Every little bit helps. The shade trees also cut back on air conditioning demand, saving money and possibly preventing some use of fossil fuel.

It's not like Miami Beach is going to cut down palm trees willy-nilly. Instead, they'll slowly reduce the concentration of palms to about 25 percent. 

This will be accomplished through removing trees that have to go anyway because of  construction projects, removing a few others scattered around town, and mainly adding shade trees so those outnumber the palms, says the Miami Herald. 

In fact, if people are that attached to the palm trees, they could just keep adding other shade trees so that they simply outnumber the palms.'

Shade trees like royal poinciana and gumbo limbo "reduce the heat island effect, uptake carbon and rainwater, and improve air quality," said Elizabeth Wheaton, the city's environmental and sustainability director.

As the Miami Herald reports, not everybody is enthusiastic about this idea. 

"The removal of so many iconic, beautiful palm trees, including royal palms, will have a negative impact on our historic, cultural and economic brand...Millions of tourists throughout the U.S. and the world annually visit Miami Beach and palm trees are an integral part of our brand," Miami Beach Commissioner Steven Meiner wrote in an email.

Though to me, it sounds like Meiner is misunderstanding the overall plan to increase the proportion of shade trees in Miami. 

Many cities across the United States, including several here in Vermont,  are into tree planting, for the reasons described above. Burlington, Vermont plants more than 100 new trees a year.  Some of that is to replace dead, dying or dangerous trees, but some of it is also to enhance the city's "urban forest."

If you have trees around your house, like I do, enjoy!  They really do add to a property. Plus, my dogs and I love hanging out beneath them on hot summer days.