Two trees produce about as much oxygen as a family of four needs to live on. Two trees. That's it. Plant one tree for every two people in your household and for the next 20 or 30 years your kids will be able to say that they are oxygen neutral. If you want to kick it up a notch, plant something that grows fast.
Plant one tree every year and you give the gift of oxygen to two strangers. How hard is that? Don't have a yard? Well, you still have choices. There are a bunch of groups devoted to planting trees. No matter where you are, you can find someone to make a small donation to in return for new trees in the ground.
The benefits don't end there. As the trees release oxygen from water they are also capturing carbon dioxide which they need for their sugar fix. One tree absorbs as much carbon as a car driven 26,000 miles.
Of course there is that whole cycle of nature thing, so all that carbon dioxide is cut loose as dying vegetative matter decomposes. So it would be good if you made your tree planting exercise an annual event.
There is a lot more to be gained from planting trees, but it ought to feel good just knowing that you have done something to be oxygen neutral or to make a stranger oxygen neutral.
This essay first appeared on www.PlanetRestart.org
