The Police Pledges $1 Million for MillionTreesNYC

This donation to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City in support of MillionTreesNYC will be matched by the city.

The total of $2 million will fund the planting of 10,000 trees and help launch the reforestation component of MillionTreesNYC, which will reforest 2,000 acres of parkland across the five boroughs. Reforestation efforts improve air and water quality, reduce greenhouse gases and lower energy costs.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined The Police today to announce that the band's final concert will be in New York City and their commitment to MillionTreesNYC, the City's initiative to plant one million trees by the year 2017.

MillionTreesNYC is a component of PlaNYC, the Mayor's plan to make the City more sustainable and reduce its carbon footprint 30 percent by 2030.

From left, Andy Summers, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sting, and Stewart Copeland announce their tree-planting partnership. (Photo courtesy Office of the Mayor)

"We are pleased to contribute to this powerful and historic initiative that will undoubtedly improve the quality of life for future generations," said The Police. "We applaud Mayor Bloomberg and the City of New York for boldly confronting the city's environmental issues and are excited to support their goal of creating a healthier, more sustainable city."

The Police announced that their final concert will be a fundraiser with proceeds benefiting the production of arts programming for public television channels Thirteen/WNET and WLIW New York. Tickets will be available nationally online via these stations. More details about the benefit show, including venue and ticket information, will be released at a later date.

"We kicked off our very first American tour at CBGB's in 1978 and this summer, 30 years later, our journey will come full circle as we play our final show here in New York City," said The Police. "We are honored to partner with public television and have a deep respect for their commitment to arts and culture."

"All of us at Thirteen/WNET and WLIW New York are incredibly honored to host the final concert of The Police and to be a part of this amazing event that will do so much to improve our city," said Neal Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Educational Broadcasting Corporation, the licensee of Thirteen/WNET and WLIW New York.

"We are even more grateful that The Police have decided that proceeds from their landmark concert will directly benefit public television. On behalf of our millions of viewers, I personally want to thank Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland for their extraordinary generosity."

Last year, the Mayor committed $400 million of city funds towards the 10 year MillionTreesNYC campaign, a partnership of the New York Department of Parks and Recreation and the New York Restoration Project.

Through MillionTreesNYC, the City will be able to increase its urban forest by 20 percent. Trees are particularly effective at cleansing the air by absorbing pollutants-sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide - through their leaves and intercepting airborne particulate matter on leaf surfaces.

New York City's hard-working trees remove an estimated 2,200 tons of pollutants from the air each year. New York City trees remove over 42,000 tons of carbon each year. The one million additional trees planted through MillionTreesNYC will remove an additional 151,658 tons of carbon from the atmosphere.

By increasing canopy cover, MillionTreesNYC will help reduce the pollutants that trigger respiratory disorders, including asthma. Just four trees planted around a home can save up to 30 percent on summer cooling costs.

MillionTreesNYC planting efforts are focused on neighborhoods with low canopy cover and high rates of asthma hospitalization among children. These neighborhoods include Hunts Point and Morrisania in the Bronx, East New York in Brooklyn, East Harlem in Manhattan, the Rockaways in Queens and Stapleton in Staten Island.

In 1977, The Police blended reggae, punk, jazz and rock to dominate the top of the charts and radio airwaves worldwide with five number one albums and a succession of hit singles. The band has earned five Grammy Awards and has sold over 50 million albums worldwide.

In 2003, The Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2007 they reformed and embarked on a world tour. To date, this tour has played to over 2.5 million people on five continents and has been named 'Major Tour of the Year' (Pollstar), 'Top Selling' and 'Top Tour of the Year' (Billboard) and has won the People's Choice award for 'Favorite Reunion Tour of 2007.'

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2008. All rights reserved.