L.A. residents wiped out 55% of their own urban forest in just one decade

‘Sunny California has become known for its expansive policies geared towards environmental protection and conservation. And yet, research shows that in Los Angeles alone, residents have managed to destroy over 50 percent of the city’s greenery in just 10 years. Apparently, in the “City of Angels,” trees are only worth saving when they aren’t in your own backyard. California continues to show that it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be.
Researchers from the University of California’s Spatial Sciences Institute say that preventing the removal of trees and other greenery to pave the way for bigger homes and nicer driveways would likely go a lot further than planting trees alone. Using aerial images, the scientists have discovered that the rate of what they call “de-greening” has reached a high of 55 percent in some areas of the Los Angeles region — meaning over half of the trees and other plant life in some neighborhoods are long gone.’
Read more: L.A. residents wiped out 55% of their own urban forest in just one decade