Here’s an easy way to help the environment: plant a tree
There’s an old proverb that says you can either curse the darkness or light a candle.
I thought of that proverb recently when I was feeling overwhelmed and helpless about the terrible air quality caused by the burning forests in Canada.
One person cannot fix climate change. But one person can help.
I can do one simple thing, and you can also: plant a tree.
In addition to producing the oxygen we need to breathe, trees improve our air quality by filtering harmful dust and pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide from the air we breathe.
Trees also reduce storm water runoff, which reduces erosion and pollution in our waterways.
Deciduous trees placed on the south and west sides of your house provide shade in summer, which reduces your cooling costs, and let in sunlight in winter, helping to warm your house.
Trees are readily available to purchase from local landscapers and on the internet. If you are lucky enough to already have trees in your yard, chances are you have tree seedlings growing in your flower beds. Perhaps you can give one to a neighbor. If you don’t have money for a tree, find a neighbor with mature trees and ask for a seedling or two.
If you live in an apartment or condo, you can still plant a tree by going online and giving a small donation. Local funeral homes often list reputable places to send money to donate a tree. I like this site: Archangel Ancient Tree Archive: www.ancienttreearchive.org/product-category/certificates-of-planting.
One person cannot stop climate change. But one person can improve air quality by doing such a simple thing as planting a tree.
Luann Tennant Coyne, Naperville
Dangerous wildfire smoke should never happen again
This is my opinion on all the smoke that just came through Naperville from the wildfires in Canada. It was terrible for everyone. It was dangerous to be outside for a long periods of time, which was really awful for a teen on summer vacation. Some people I know weren’t able to go out for a run because of how bad the air quality was. It particularly affected asthmatic people. Our pool was closed for a whole day because of it.
I would go outside and wouldn’t be able to see the end of my street because the air was so hazy. It was really hard for me to find fun things to do because I was stuck inside and couldn’t go outside to play or spend time with my friends because it would be bad for me to inhale all of that smoke.
The smoke coming through our town prevented a lot of people from doing the things they love outside. I really hope none of this ever happens again because it could have been a lot worse.
Chris Newton, Naperville
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Boy Scout Troop 510
Local clubs should sponsor swimming lessons for kids
I can remember when I was in grade school in Warrenville that the local Mother’s Club would sponsor swim lessons at Potawatomi Park in St. Charles during the summer.
The cost was affordable and the club provided the school buses to transport us. The classes ran the gamut from beginning to lifeguard and even springboard diving.
Perhaps local clubs can offer affordable classes through park districts?
Bill Voda, Warrenville
There’s life beyond 75th Street in Naperville — who knew?
It’s been 50 years since I had a mailing address in Naperville and while the town had already shed the image of a rural outpost back then, it was by no means the sprawling metropolis it is today.
And while I have occasionally traveled to my hometown in the ensuing years, I have been ever so careful not to go south of 75th street as I was warned as a child that the Earth ceased to exist beyond that point. Plainfield was nothing more than a rumor.
But as fate would have it, one of my grandchildren was playing in a Naperville Little League tournament and out of fear of being excommunicated from the family, I reluctantly agreed to attend.
The location was at the far end of the town in an area I had only known as a great wasteland, with marshes and woodlands and open fields containing a vast abundance of mostly nothing.
So, I packed up the car speculating I might never return. I had more than enough provisions to last for months. More importantly, I filled the trunk with survivalist gear purchased at a local army surplus store. I wasn’t about to take any chances.
Much to my amazement, rather than traveling into a backwoods settlement straight out of “Game of Thrones,” I found no swamps or woodlands as I crossed 75th Street and passed White Eagle Country Club and Neuqua Valley High School. I began to feel like Dorothy when she first opened her eyes and saw all those Munchkins in technicolor.
Not only was there civilization, but it lacked for nothing when it came to storefronts, full-service restaurants, medical and dental offices, boutiques and beauty shops. It was as if the city of Naperville had suddenly grown an appendage.
What a revelation! And who knows, I just might return some day now that I know there truly is life beyond 75th Street.
Bob Ory, Elgin
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