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Trees for Blythe Street

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* Re “New Future, New Reputation,” Valley Edition Editorials, March 7.

Your editorial contained good and bad news. The good news is the major turnaround of Blythe Street that included planting trees. Environmentally trees are an extremely important source of oxygen, but the choice of liquidambar is bad news.

Unfortunately, trees as well as autos emit hydrocarbons, which in the presence of nitrogen oxide (that autos also supply) and sunlight create ozone. In terms of the amount of hydrocarbons emitted, liquidambar is one of the worst species. They emit 1,200 times the amount of ozone-contributing hydrocarbons as the lowest-emitting species, such as camphor (source: statewide Air Pollution Research Center, Riverside).

Hopefully those responsible for planting trees for the city of Los Angeles will become better informed about the environmental qualities of the different species and include this information when making choices.

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ROBERT ANDREWS

Van Nuys

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