Here's to a greener New Year in better concert with nature

Yes, we can restore the climate and our quality of life by planting more plants in our neighborhoods. We are part of natural systems, stewards of the ecosystems where we dwell.

When a property owner removes all the vegetation and installs a parking lot, the ecosystem, water, and carbon cycles are disrupted. The hard surfaces absorb heat, and rainwater no longer infiltrates into the ground. The land becomes a heat island radiating heat. Destructive stormwater erodes, dumps sediments, warms the ocean and contributes to rising sea levels.

The word comes from on high: Decarbonize, buy more green energy. We are told that the grand old maple tree must die to make way for solar panels so that future maple trees may live.

The solution is not to ban parking lots or fine the property owner. The answer is age-old: stewardship, done in concert with nature. Install permeable pavers beneath parked cars and grow vegetation beside them. Add shade and shelter above for vehicles with raised solar panels.

This way, the local microclimate does not change. The water cycle continues to turn. Water droplets nucleate on organic particles released into the air by plants to form white, puffy, cumulous clouds. There are fewer dust particles and no haze. When parking your car, there will be no puddles to step in. You may smell the vegetation and keep an eye on the sparrow.