Atlanta’s credit card habits win $300,000 worth of trees
November 21, 2008 at 3:50 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsCongrats, Atlanta. We beat Los Angeles for $300,000 worth of trees.
American Express announced today that it is giving the City of Atlanta $300,000 for tree-planting projects as part of the American Express Root for Our City Challenge, an initiative designed to help make eight U.S. cities cleaner, greener and more beautiful. The “City of Trees” will receive funding for tree planting programs led by Trees Atlanta, which will support the planting of 300 trees and their maintenance in residential neighborhoods and retail districts throughout the city.
Through the Root For Our City Challenge, American Express has committed $1 million toward tree planting projects for further expansion of the nation’s urban tree canopies, with Atlanta securing the largest portion of the $1 million. The additional participating cities, which included Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC, will each receive $100,000 for tree planting projects in those cities that will be spearheaded by local environmentally-focused organizations.
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Project plans for the eight participating cities range from replacing storm-damaged and aging trees, to the planting of hundreds of native trees that would significantly increase the tree canopy in urban areas.
Cardholders who made purchases with le plastique helped Atlanta trump seven other cities including Los Angeles, Boston and New York. Surprising that a tourist hotspot like New York — which placed seventh — couldn’t edge us out.
Sources say that once fully grown, the trees will be cut down and used for firewood when all of us lose our homes to debt. (Kidding. Good work, Atlanta.)
November 23rd, 2008 at 6:58 pm
No, it’s going to be much worse. We’ll be eating the bark like freaking North Koreans.