Freedom of the trees

May 11, 1982

It's not exactly a tale of two cities, more like two different worlds.

Peking has ordered every able-bodied Chinese of 11 and older to plant three to five trees each year. Over three billion - that's right, billion - trees went into the ground during the first quarter of 1982 alone.

Meanwhile, in a part of Providence, Rhode Island, citizens resisted the planting of a mere 250 trees by the city forester. He says that, among other things, they didn't want to rake the leaves. Fortunately for them, Providence is not in China.