[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is the tale of two ancient cities and\Nthe trees that determined their destinies.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 3,000 BC Uruk was more densely \Npopulated than modern day New York City.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This crowded capital had to continually\Nexpand their irrigation system
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to feed its growing population.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,2,500 years later in Sri Lanka, the city \Nof Anuradhapura had a similar problem.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They were also growing constantly,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and like Uruk, their city relied heavily \Non an elaborate irrigation system.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As Uruk grew, its farmers began chopping \Ndown trees to make space for more crops.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Anuradhapura, however, \Ntrees were sacred.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their city housed an offshoot of the Bodhi\Ntree
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,under which Buddha himself was said\Nto have attained enlightenment.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Religious reverence slowed farmer’s \Naxes and even led the city
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to plant additional trees in urban parks.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Initially, Uruk’s expansion worked well.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But without trees to filter their water \Nsupply,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Uruk’s irrigation system \Nbecame contaminated.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Evaporating water left mineral deposits,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which rendered the soil \Ntoo salty for agriculture.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Conversely, Anuradhapura’s irrigation \Nsystem was designed to work
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in concert with the surrounding forest.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their city eventually grew to more than \Ntwice Uruk’s population,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and today, Anuradhapura still cares for \Na tree planted over 2,000 years ago.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We may think of nature as being \Nunconnected to our urban spaces,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but trees have always been an essential\Npart of successful cities.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Trees act like a natural sponge, absorbing\Nstorm water runoff
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,before releasing it back into\Nthe atmosphere.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The webs of their roots protect against \Nmudslides
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while allowing soil to retain water and\Nfilter out toxins.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Roots help prevent floods,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while reducing the need for storm \Ndrains and water treatment plants.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their porous leaves purify the air by \Ntrapping carbon and other pollutants,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,making them essential in the \Nfight against climate change.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Humanity has been uncovering these \Narboreal benefits for centuries.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But trees aren’t just crucial to the \Nhealth of a city’s infrastructure;
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they play a vital role in the health of \Nits citizens as well.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the 1870’s, Manhattan had few trees \Noutside the island’s parks.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Without trees to provide shade, buildings\Nabsorbed up to nine times more solar radiation
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,during deadly summer heat waves. Combined with the period’s poor sanitation standards, the oppressive heat made the city a breeding ground for bacteria like cholera. In modern day Hong Kong, tall skyscrapers and underground infrastructure make it difficult for trees to grow. This contributes to the city’s dangerously poor air quality, which can cause bronchitis and diminished lung function. Trees affect our mental health as well. Research indicates that the presence of green foliage increases attention spans and decreases stress levels. It’s even been shown that hospital patients with views of brick walls recover more slowly than those with views of trees.