organic compounds, so may not be the best trees to select for cities. They also grow very slowly. Male Ginkgo bilobas are chosen because they make excellent street trees and with the male trees, you do not get the dropping of fruit such as with the female. In cities and elsewhere, green roofs and walls can be used to help carbon absorption and trees will also help regulate air temperature. Horticulture has negative impacts on the environment – these should be understood, and you should be able to discuss them. Many negatives are not immediately obvious. Materials used in growing mediums may have been shipped from abroad, leaving a large carbon footprint. Nurseries may use non-recyclable pots, again, leaving a wasteful and carbon-rich imprint. Peat may be extracted for growing mediums – peat is a rare and valuable resource and peat bogs need to be conserved. Transport of plants and materials can be very costly in terms of carbon footprint. Driving to nurseries far away instead of locally can increase the carbon footprint of plants too. Garden machinery requires fuel for energy to operate – this has a carbon footprint. Water, heat, and irrigation, all take resources. So how can we manage horticulture to be better in terms of carbon footprints? Things like making sure a nursery recycles pots, does not use peat, is local if possible, and uses resources wisely can all help. In terms of equality and diversity, you should try to choose suppliers where staff are treated equally, and there is no child labour involved (things like this are difficult to check in terms of products sourced
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