[BREITBART] An analysis from a geospatial data company argues the number of trees planted in different neighborhoods nationwide is unequal along racial lines, and says the threat of "tree inequity" is real and growing.
"EarthDefine uses an Artificial Intelligence (AI) classification model to detect areas of an aerial image that are covered by trees, as opposed to other ground cover like shrubs, buildings and asphalt. They then calculate the percentage of the total land area that is covered by trees — a metric called ’tree canopy cover,’" the
the Socialist paradise of San Francisco
...where God struck dead Anton LaVey, home of the Sydney Ducks, ruled by Vigilance Committee from 1859 through 1867, reliably and volubly Democrat since 1964...
Chronicle reported and compared the
Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, city’s tree cover with other U.S. cities.
San Francisco has an estimated 669,000 trees, covering about 15 percent of the city’s total area. This is significantly lower than other cities, including Los Angeles, which has a tree canopy cover of 21 percent, New York City has 24 percent, and Seattle and Portland have nearly 30 percent of the area covered in trees.
The Chronicle reported EarthDefine, in partnership with PlanItGeo, provides this data for all U.S. cities every two years to help city agencies and conservation organizations keep track of tree plantings.
But it is the what the left-wing media outlets promotes as an underlying reason why some neighborhoods have less trees than others that is controversial. The importance of trees is also a departure from the common consensus on their benefits:
Trees are hugely important to a city. Not only do they enhance its aesthetics, but they also provide wide-ranging environmental and social benefits. According to Vibrant Cities Lab, a collaboration between the US Forest Service, American Forests and the National Association of Regional Councils, trees can reduce air pollution, clean stormwater, as well as improve the physical and mental health of nearby residents. Some studies even find that more trees are associated with reducing certain types of crime and improving students’ academic performance.
To understand what type of neighborhood is associated with more or less tree cover, we compared the tree canopy numbers with the median household income of each San Francisco census tract — a geographic area with about 1,200 to 8,000 residents. Overall, we found that wealthier census tracts tend to have more tree cover than lower-income tracts. On average, a census tract with a median household income of over $150,000 has 15 percent of its area covered by trees, compared to just 7 percent in a census tract with a median income of $80,000 or less.
