Last summer (2023), at least 400 trees tragically fell off in Milan due to the gusts of wind, rain, and hail that hit Northern Italy at the end of July.

The green giants were uprooted, trunks broken, foliage scattered on the ground, battered by hailstones as large as golf balls. The climate disaster came, ironically, right after the city administration’s announcement to plant 3 million trees by 2030 (within the metropolitan area).

But why is it so important to have trees in the city? The reasons are many, ranging from fighting global warming to improving cognitive abilities.

Trees, besides offering shelter from the summer heat, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, becoming essential for life on Earth…and for our brain performance.

Strobilo has observed that the human brain, in the presence of a high concentration of carbon dioxide (>600ppm), tends to record low cognitive performance. Between 600 and 1000 ppm, performance drops by 20%, at around 1500 it drops by 40%, until progressively nullifying when reaching 2500 ppm.

Did you know this?