It is not my job to decide for you.
But it is my job to give you as much informed consent as I am able.
There have been many debates about masks for COVID.
Most of the naysayers get drowned out, yelled at, censured or ostracized.
That is not a fair fight.
So I don’t fight.
I let everyone decide for themselves.
If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. You are not harming anyone else.
But are you harming yourself?
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-foegen-effect-how-mask-wearing-can-make-you-sick/
You should read the link above.
Then you decide for yourself.
But please do not decide for others.
There is still a healthy debate to be had.
Time will tell…
What I do wish was that masks would have protected the large Elm tree in my backyard. It’s been growing for about 12-15 years.
It’s been a great shade tree. But at some point last year those pesky lantern flies attacked the tree. Then a storm took down about 1/3 of the tree.
We had a tree surgeon look at the tree. Since we did not have tree health insurance he said he couldn’t save it. He said we should have vaccinated the tree a few years ago…..
I said I did not think that would work. I didn’t like the biased data that he showed me about vaccinating the tree.
I asked for other options.
The tree surgeon then said we should have masked the tree.
I said I did not believe that masking a tree would help.
I asked for other options.
The tree surgeon said we should have socially distanced the Elm tree from all the other trees. I told him that the Elm was a very social tree and played nicely with all the other trees, birds and squirrels. The Elm would have risked great harm to avoid all the other trees. In fact a tree down the block from me was isolated and looked kind of sad. I think they said it was a Weeping Willow???
Well today the tree had to come down.
What took 12-15 years to grow took about 30 minutes to come down.
BEFORE
Almost After
I don’t have the final pic but there is nothing left, even the stump was ground down.
But everything will be fine again.
I found another option for our other trees to protect them against the lantern flies.
And we have a new baby tree, a dogwood just getting started.
What does this have to do with health?
If I had known the early warning signs of the harm the lantern flies were doing, I could have treated the tree much earlier and saved it. But I did not and I learned a painful and expensive lesson.
Now I will do my best to have a tree doctor advise me on an annual basis how to better care for the trees in my yard to protect them from whatever may harm them.
A little prevention can go a long way, if you are aware.
I am now aware.
This was a tough learning experience.
Very sorry to read about your tree. However, I'm glad that you are continuing to branching out.
I found the Foegen Effect very interesting. I have personally stated in other comments, that for me, the masks did nothing but make my heart and allergy problems worse. I now, seem to be, not the only one.
I hope your new tree adds new life to your property!