We couldn't exist without the trees

I am becoming increasingly angry with people such as P Lenny, (Letters January 11), who in their ignorance say there are far more important things to worry about than 'a few trees'.
Save the trees campaign on Rustlings Road in SheffieldSave the trees campaign on Rustlings Road in Sheffield
Save the trees campaign on Rustlings Road in Sheffield

We are talking about the proposed felling of 27,000 of our city’s trees. What could be more important than the air we breathe to keep us alive? We couldn’t exist without trees. What could be more important than something which protects our lungs against pollution (Sheffield being among the most polluted cities in the country)?

Again our wonderful mature roadside trees tackle this threat to our health and give us vital protection. If all our city’s street trees are felled by the council there will be far more pressure placed on the NHS from people suffering from the effects of pollution in our atmosphere. What provides the best flood protection for people’s homes? Once again the answer is trees.

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One day last summer I was travelling home from town on a very hot day and the sweltering bus was stuck in lines of traffic on Whitham Road towards Broomhill. Thankfully passengers’ discomfort was eased by the overhead canopies of mature trees (newly planted saplings would have been useless) which were providing welcome shade from the heat of the sun.

I could go on, however, suffice it to say that the benefits of trees are greatly underestimated and I wish people would stop to think before uttering such rubbish by saying our trees are unimportant in comparison with other issues. Every tree lost has a detrimental impact on our lives, but I am sure members of Sheffield City Council are rubbing their hands in glee at all the trees blown down over the city in the recent gale. A few less for their chainsaw massacre.

Susan Richardson

Lodge Moor, S10