From "Notes From a Subterranean Library in Oregon," a compilation of Ray Peat's newspaper letters and columns, compiled by T3Uncoupled (2023). Originally published 1971.

Ray Peat, "Trees important", p. 14

Eugene is being degraded. Trees are again being removed for streets. Apparently people think bigger roads are more important than trees, considering the surrounding forests to be sufficient to “improve the air.” If the road builders think they are improving the city, they are mistaken. Russian researchers have shown that the number of trees in a neighborhood is important for improving the air quality, regardless of the extent of surrounding forests or farms. They found that a single tree can annually remove pounds of sulphur compounds and other gasses and particles from the air, and that the effect is felt in the immediate vicinity of the tree. Even if Weyerhaeuser and traffic and other polluters don’t get worse, our local pollution will increase as city trees are removed.