This Earth Day, experts look to grow, maintain Northeast Ohio’s tree canopy

Northeast Ohio experts explain how to plant trees and grow the region’s canopy Wednesday is Earth Day, and it's a chance to show appreciation for the environment right outside our front door. For many of us, that starts with the trees in our own yards. Trees cool our homes, clean the air, manage stormwater and even boost property values. But across Northeast Ohio, they're currently under threat. In Cleveland, the urban tree canopy is estimated to be around 18%, well below the roughly 30 to 40% coverage experts say is ideal for a healthy city. Akron's tree canopy sits around 35%, but coverage is uneven. Some neighborhoods are lush and shaded, while others have far fewer trees, leaving residents more exposed to heat and environmental stress. Wednesday on the "Sound of Ideas," we're talking about what that means for residents. We'll learn how to care for the trees you have, when it's safe to tackle projects on your own and when it's time to call in a professional. We'll also dig into the bigger picture: why our regional tree canopy is declining and what's being done to restore it, including the work of a federally funded group in Akron, Project ACORN. Guests:- Tom Schreiber, Senior Manager of Community Forestry, Western Reserve Land Conservancy- Jessica Glowczewski, Watershed Superintendent, City of Akron How the fashion industry impacts our health and our environment, and what can be done to change it for the better As you think about what you're wearing at the moment, do you know what material or materials your outfit is made from? What about how you're supposed to wash it? Is it dry clean only? Are you supposed line dry it, or can you finish it in your dyer on tumble dry low? And when you're done wearing it for the last time, whether it can be recycled? You might not know the answers to all of these questions off the top of your head, but they make a big difference to our environment, and our health. If you did know more about what you're wearing, how it's produced, what it takes to keep it clean, and what can happen to it when you're done with it, you just might make different choices when it comes to your wardrobe. In the second half of the program, we'll learn about the environmental impact of the fashion industry with experts from different corners of this world who are trying to change it for the better. Editor’s note: During the course of our conversation, the threshold for activating California’s SB 707 “Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024” for producers of textiles was misstated. To clarify, the producer volume threshold is $1 million USD and over, not under. Guests:- Gargi Bhaduri, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Kent State University School of Fashion- Lisa Goldsand, Founder, Circular Thrift- Gail Baugh, Author, "The Fashion Designer's Textile Directory"