Dressed in red and equipped with a black bag containing a water bottle and a book, Karen Bauernschmidt left her home Saturday morning prepared to silently protest by sitting in a tree for as long as it took to get her questions about trees answered. Five hours later she was home.
Bauernschmidt arrived at Metrocenter, a west Phoenix mall near Peoria Avenue and Interstate 17, at 5:45 a.m., before shoppers, security guards and even the sun to start making her protest against plans to chop down more than 300 trees on the mall grounds.
She said that she would not come down from the tree until two questions were answered: What is the tree requirement per capita in the United States to offset fossil fuel emissions and what is the tree requirement per capita globally to forestall global warning?
Bauernschmidt came down from the tree at 9:30 a.m. when she was satisfied with the information police provided her. Though she got no exact answer, she was armed with plenty of places to research to get her answers.
On Wednesday Bauernschmidt came to Metrocenter as a shopper and learned about mall owner Westcor's plan to cut down 340 dead or dying trees for landscaping changes.
When she decided to come back Friday morning and protest by sitting on top of one of the oldest trees at Metrocenter, all she found was that tree's stump.
That is when Bauernschmidt decided to make herself heard.
Bauernschmidt, founder of the Sustainable Energy Alliance in Phoenix, has long been as advocate of educating others about the importance of trees to the environment. The organization promotes awareness about sustainable energy, which does not damage the Earth and environment.
"Trees give us tons of oxygen, hold water and absorb carbon dioxide," Bauernschmidt said.
"They decrease temperatures by 10 to 15 degrees and provide shade as well."
Daniel Thompson, a permaculture specialist and a reforester, said Arizona does not produce enough oxygen to take care of its population.
He suggests using gravel parking lots, rather than concrete or asphalt, that are more porous and would allow plants and trees to receive water and nutrients.
"I am empathetic with Karen for bringing clarity and light to this issue," Thompson said.
In earlier interviews, Westcor spokeswoman Karen Mauer said mall officials are removing dying or dead trees and replacing them with new trees.
However, Bauernschmidt, 52, said she believes Westcor's landscaping efforts are nothing more than making way for new parking spaces and she does not think that you need to cut down trees to pave a parking lot. But her motive behind this silent protest is specific to Phoenix.
"My main purpose is to say that those 30 people that died in Phoenix last month (from heat) would not have if they would have had 340 trees protecting them," Bauernschmidt said.
When asked if she thinks her method is effective, Bauernschmidt said, "I don't know if it is (effective), but it is the only thing I could think of given the time frame."Arizona Republic
