Why We Need Plants, And What We Use Plants For

I was surprised to have some people not recognize the importance and the uses of plants, and thus the birth of this article as a reminder and a reference list.

Much of the below list becomes obvious once you think about it, but it seems many never spend a second considering the value of plants, and are dismissive about their value in human lives, societies, and the world in general.

Please note that I do not get paid to write these articles.
For my own reference and others, this article consumed about 2 hours to make.

We need and use plants for the following things:

1. Oxygen.

   1. Simply put, human beings and most animals and creatures on this planet could not exist if it were not for the oxygen created by the plants of earth and water, and algae of the oceans.  This also helps with the balance of Earth's atmosphere layers.  Not only do humans need oxygen to simply stay alive, but our brains think better, and thus we are sharper when more oxygen exists.  We are also happier in the presence of more oxygen, and thus a lift of mood and cooperation occurs.

2. Food (vegetables, fruits, Herbs, nutrition).

   1. Human being have evolved to be Omnivores, which means we can consume both meat and vegetation to get our food needs.  Not only do the plants provide food, but also help us process meat better and help regulate our body with the various ingredients that come from consumption of plants.  A major source of energy for people and creatures of all kinds comes from the sugar compounds provided by fruits and the nectar of flowers.

3. Medicine (direct intake, extractions, R&D learning and synthesis).

   1. Human beings may have become extinct a long time ago if it was not for the medical properties of plants to help us counter disease, and heal when harmed.  Even today, plants continue to be researched and sought out for new medical discoveries. 

4. Air Filtration.

   1. Many people do not realize that trees, shrubs, and all the other forms of plants help filter our air of pollutants.  As is the case with it's oxygen generation, the filtration also helps with the balancing of Earth's atmosphere layers.  The atmosphere impacts our protection from cosmic harm, farming, temperature, and more. 
   2. Another form of filtration occurs that we often considered as a chemical exchange, and that is the removal of carbon dioxide from the air.  This includes the carbon dioxide exhausted by humans when we breath air in for the oxygen and exhale back out carbon dioxide, and it includes many other sources of carbon dioxide like other creatures (both on and in the planet Earth), mechanical devices, industrial chemical reactions, and volcanoes. 

5. Building material (homes, old cars and modern luxury, furniture)

   1. Many countries' cities, towns, villages make their homes with wooden infrastructure, and/or foundation, and/or roof. In North American country states homes are mostly build with wooden beams for both the walls and the holding of the roof load (weight). Many of the homes also have their walls (internal and external), ceilings, floors, and roofs made from wood that are then covered with other materials.  In the "old" days, transportation vehicles (from wagons to the first cars) were made partially or completely from wood (a plant material), and in modern times polished wood (stained or not) can be found within within some motor vehicles of land, sea, and air.

6. Beauty (flowers, decoration, structure).

   1. From the creation of Royal Gardens by the Persians (now Iran), to modern rose gardens through out many many cities, to Valentine's Day flower giving, and to the decoration of flowers during our most special occasions like weddings.  We decorate landscapes, people, homes (inside and out), walls, tables, and anything else we can think of with flowers and plants because we like their esthetics (their look), their fragrance, their feel, and many other properties that we find beautiful and pleasing at the very least.  Sometimes a single flower can be the key factor in establishing a relation with a future spouse that otherwise would not have occurred.

7. Temperature Control.

   1. Smart city managers (city counsel, mayors, etc.) line their streets with trees, and lay bushes and grass wherever they can within their appropriately allocated budget.  Not only does a plant's green color help absorb heat, but the plants processes the energy from the sun.  The plants help with absorption of heat and also cool off the local environment with moisture on the leaf surfaces when purposely made wet. When the surface area of each leaf of each tree and each grass blade is added, then it is realized what a massively massively immense surface area is being used to manipulate air temperatures.

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