Fall’s color is in danger
Fall – what a wonderful time of year! Everyone is breaking out their sweaters, enjoying various pumpkin related delicacies and gathering together with friends and family. A particular pleasure of Fall for many is watching the trees turn from their bright summery greens into a cornucopia of colors ranging from brilliant reds to bright yellows to vibrant oranges.
But, when was the last time you took a closer look at the fallen leaves from these trees? Have you ever wondered what the discolorations, holes and pockmarks are telling you? It turns out that a freshly fallen leaf can tell you a lot about local air quality. All you have to do is look.
Just like humans, plants have a respiratory system. Just like humans, that respiratory system is vulnerable to air pollution. Pollution ranging from factories to car exhaust turns into a grayish brown smog (ozone) in major metropolitan areas such as the Philadelphia region. This smog has a substantial impact on trees and their leaves.
Pollutants emitted from fossil fuel can bleach leaves white or turn them the traditional fall colors of brown and yellow way before the Fall months. If enough of a plant or tree’s leaves are prematurely impacted in this manner, the entire tree is at risk.
You can spot the damage done by air pollution yourself. Sulfur dioxide converts into sulfuric acid which eats holes into leaves. Smog damage on leaves appears as mottled spots which range in color from yellow to black or brown. Fluorides damage the edges of plants and cause them to turn brown or black. A particular kind of nitrate causes a condition called “Silver leaf” which turns the underside of leaves a sickly silvery white or bronze color.
So, what can be done to preserve the natural beauty of Fall?
On August 3rd 2015, President Obama unveiled the Clean Power Plan (CPP). A monumental piece of legislation designed to reduce fossil fuel emissions in the US by 32%. The CPP is being challenged by the coal industry and coal states in the U.S. Court of Appeals—D.C. Circuit. Clean Air Council is one of many groups that is in court defending the CPP. The Council believes that we must start a shift away from our reliance on fossil fuels in favor of promoting energy efficiency and non-polluting energy alternatives such as wind and solar.
The Clean Power Plan, will help protect Fall’s natural colors by eliminating the sources of many of the dangerous chemicals that negatively affect both the respiratory systems of trees and us. The Clean Air Council is fighting to ensure that the Clean Power Plan makes it through its court battles and is implemented for the benefit of you, your family, and all Pennsylvanians.
To donate or for more information, visit our website. For questions on just what the Clean Air Council is doing to bring natural color back to Fall, call 215-567-4004×133.
