More and more people are pursuing a resource-efficient lifestyle that minimizes waste. What we choose to wear, where we travel and even what we eat are closely related with the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

When I started my internship, I hadn’t imagined I would be wading through thickets of chest-high grass and battling prickly plants and biting insects on my field trips to the Bronx. But while it’s been a little more “jungle” in the “urban jungle” than I was expecting, that’s been a pleasant surprise.

Trees in our city are not just there for shade and a place to toss your cigarette butt. There are multiple benefits of urban trees, including improving air quality, decreasing asthma and obesity, reducing stormwater runoff, storing carbon and reducing energy expenditures among countless others.

As it marches on, climate change will bring forth higher temperatures, more frequent and severe flooding and a greater level of unpredictability to the climate system. New York may seem resilient to climate change, but the modern Goliath has its weaknesses.