It is amazing how human beings can find excuses for everything. Case in point is a person who puts down a magnificent tree in an urban lot, stating that it was old.
In a forest, old trees fall and may cause damage to other trees and animals below them. In the cities, happens the same. It is not rare to see a fallen tree in an avenue, for example. This could happen in the middle of the night, even in the absence of winds or rain, and hurt no one. It is a matter of chance.
Urban planning, including the choice of appropriate trees species and a systematic control of existing trees are means to minimize the occurrence of a tree fall due to its age. This is feasible and can be done by municipal authorities or non-governmental organizations (NGO).
The purpose of this text, however, is to point out the habit of stating lame excuses to cut a tree. A person is paid to put down a tree, so the owner of the lot gets rid of a “inconvenience”, which he or she considers to be an obstacle to the sale of the property. Any excuse could have been used.
When a tree gets in fact “old”, it is acceptable putting it down if it becomes a threat, even in a private lot. No one is questioning the physical safety issue. But anyone who cares about Nature and is aware of the benefits brought by an OPU (Oxygen Producing Unit), would immediately have planted a young tree to replace the old one.
Natura Futura 