In Praise of Trees.. or.. Oxygen

  ~   by Ruth Laming, Cedar Creek Writers

He would ride up to our forest home in Saanich to visit my brother John. Parking his motorbike, he’d unzip his leather jacket, head raised to breathe deeply, and remark,

“H’it’s the h’oxygen from the trees. Tom – invigorating.” (He called all the guys Tom.)

But he’s right, you know. Each tall green tree, through photosynthesis uses sunshine and rain for food, and breathes out oxygen – just what we need. There are all the threats of Greenhouse gasses, global warming, pine beetles flourishing, ice caps diminishing. The cause? Cars, busses, aero planes, aerosol hair sprays or paint cans, oil fired furnaces, cars and factories – people living the soft life. All our fault. We are asked, “Are you Carbon neutral?” Sounds a bit personal. I guess it’s the evil “C” of “CO2”, that we are accused of increasing.

Well, I feel absolutely innocent, if not noble. I grow and care for 34 acres of forest! Each tree exhaling oxygen, “O2”. Inhaling “CO2”. Of course there are wilderness parks, city parks, or even our gardens, all helping. So, cut back on the hydro, and plant a tree.

“H’it’s the H’oxygen of the trees, Tom. Invigorating!”