Man and Nature

The loss of Westwood Boulevard’s large shade trees was much more than a visual loss (June 20). Before they were cut down by UCLA grounds maintenance forces, each of the mature eucalyptuses intercepted on its leaves the cancer-causing diesel particulates from trucks, buses and cars. The cooling effect of these large-specimen trees has been estimated to be the approximate equivalent of eight house-sized air conditioners running 20 hours a day.

To destroy this remarkable resource in the face of an energy shortage is to consider trees an enemy of technology. Unfortunately, other localities are also cutting major trees.

Alexander M. Man

Santa Monica