Paving Paradise

Update June 2012

I must admit, I was the first complain when they cut down hundreds of old growth trees to put in the Robinson's giant Mall. Now I am a big fan of the Supermarket. However, I am still very sad the developers didn't work around the trees, keeping some of them to shade the parking lot area. It's so very hot to get in your car because there is no shade at all. Not to mention all the cement makes the ambient temperature much higher for the whole area. The loss of hundreds of trees was a blow to the environment. I wish the city had made them replace the trees with plants of equal shade value. The palms the developers seem to love around here are easy maintenance but have no shade value.

Up until a few days ago there used to be a large at least 6 hectare grove of wonderful old Mango and Acacia trees along the highway right after the junction where the North and South National Highway splits.

To make way for progress they have felled practically all of the trees. Even those along the highway that could have given off good oxygen and cut down the heat in the city. Even trees that possibly could have given shade for cars to park.  I don't understand why developers can't build around the trees like they to in American cities. It's really, really sad.

With all due respect to my new hometown...they really need to put some eco-friendly ordinances in place, like protecting the trees already in place. Trees give us our air! The city is not really a City in a Forest as it's been called. It's a city that used to be in a forest but has gotten paved over.

Reminds me of that old Joni Mitchell song, "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot......"