[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.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Combined with the period’s poor \Nsanitation standards,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the oppressive heat made the city a \Nbreeding ground for bacteria like cholera.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In modern day Hong Kong, tall skyscrapers\Nand underground infrastructure
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,make it difficult for trees to grow.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This contributes to the city’s dangerously\Npoor air quality,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which can cause bronchitis and diminished\Nlung function.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Trees affect our mental health as well.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Research indicates that the presence \Nof green foliage increases attention spans
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and decreases stress levels.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s even been shown that hospital \Npatients with views of brick walls
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,recover more slowly than \Nthose with views of trees.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Fortunately, many cities \Nare full of views like this –
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that’s no accident.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As early as the 18th century,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,city planners began to embrace the \Nimportance of urban trees.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1733, Colonel James Oglethorpe \Nplanned the city of Savannah, Georgia
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to ensure that no neighborhood was \Nmore than a 2-minute walk from a park.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After World War II, Copenhagen directed \Nall new development along five arteries –
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,each sandwiched between a park.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This layout increased the city’s \Nresilience
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to pollution and natural disasters.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And urban trees don’t just benefit people.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Portland’s Forest Park preserves the \Nregion’s natural biodiversity,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,making the city home to various \Nlocal plants,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,112 bird species, and 62 \Nspecies of mammals.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No city is more committed to trees \Nthan Singapore.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Since 1967, Singapore’s government\Nhas planted over 1.2 million trees,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,including those within 50-meter tall \Nvertical gardens called supertrees.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These structures sustain themselves \Nand nearby conservatories
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with solar energy and collected rainwater.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Trees and vegetation currently cover \Nover 50% of Singapore’s landmass,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reducing the need for air conditioning
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and encouraging low-pollution \Ntransportation.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By 2050, it’s estimated that over 65% of\Nthe world will be living in cities.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,City planners can lay an eco-friendly\Nfoundation,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it’s up to the people who live in \Nthese urban forests
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make them homes for more than humans.