Amid global warming, droughts, and social instability, environmental science student Vladislav Sanduleac shares a Facebook post with reflections that surprise with their precise calculations and obvious conclusions. He tells the story of one oak tree—a living symbol of sustainable wealth—that brings Moldova dozens of times more benefits than the timber it could be cut into.

“One mature Moldovan oak, around 100 years old, brings tremendous profit to our country and people:

It produces about 100–150 kg of oxygen per year, which is enough for 2–4 people annually. How much is a healthy life for 2–4 Moldovans worth? You decide.
In Moldovan lei, I found that a 10-liter medical oxygen tank costs about 5,000 lei. That makes it roughly 50,000 lei worth of oxygen per year. Or 5,000,000 lei over 100 years.” – notes Vladislav.

Just the oxygen alone turns the oak into real value. But there’s more.

“2. The oak is a natural air conditioner. It evaporates up to 400 liters of water per day in summer, cooling and humidifying the air for those same 2–4 Moldovans.
Let’s only count the summer—90 days.
400 liters = 40 lei/day. That’s 3,600 lei per year and 360,000 lei over 100 years.
An electric air conditioner using 10 kWh/day also costs about 40 lei/day. Again, that’s 3,600 lei per year and 360,000 lei over a century.”

This isn’t just shade—it’s a microclimate: free and irreplaceable.

The student continues:
“3. Its crown provides shade for up to 200 m² (2 ares) and cools the air under the tree by 3–7°C. That alone helps fight global warming and reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure for those same 2–3 Moldovans.
And how much is another summer of life worth for someone in a risk group? In my opinion—priceless!!!”

It’s hard to argue—lives are saved under tree canopies. And so are soils and water.

“4. Oak roots retain and filter up to 1,000 liters of water per rainstorm and pull water from deep soil layers, increasing its moisture—crucial for our 2–4 Moldovans in an agrarian country.
Additionally, by slowing down rainwater runoff, the oak prevents soil erosion.
How much does it cost to dig a new well when the old one dries up in a village where 2–4 families relied on it?
Let’s add at least another 360,000 lei over 100 years of watering when the soil lacks moisture.”

The oak is an ecosystem, a soil protector, and a source of life.

“5. A single oak supports up to 500 species of insects, fungi, birds, and mosses. It’s a miniature ecosystem—from ants to owls.
Why? Because it produces 10,000–50,000 acorns annually and sets a generous table for squirrels, boars, birds, and deer.
I won’t even try to calculate that!
A sack of compost costs 250 lei.
An oak produces 5 cm of compost over 10 years and contributes 30–80 kg of organic fertilizer annually, rich in potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen—fuel for soil microflora.”

And now the total—it’s astonishing:

“Over 100 years, at a minimum: 6,300,000 lei.
That’s about 3.5 kg of gold. Or roughly 1 kg of gold per Moldovan in our story’s 2–4 participants)))”

It sounds like a fairy tale, but it’s based on real data. And like in all fairy tales, there’s an antagonist—short-term thinking.

“And now, story number two, called 3.14-Z!!!
The forestry industry gets about 3 cubic meters of commercial wood from a 100-year-old oak.
After all the energy, labor, transport, sawing, and drying, they might get 12,000 lei per cubic meter—36,000 lei total.
But deducting all the costs leaves them with pennies.
And that’s why Moldova stays poor—with this kind of attitude toward its natural wealth!”

The photo added to the post was taken from V. Kostyuk’s blog.
“His video went so viral, it was impossible to ignore,” adds Vladislav.

This story isn’t just an environmentalist’s poetic vision—it’s a factual calculation of Moldova’s undervalued natural wealth.
Perhaps stories like this one can finally change the thinking of those making decisions about tree-cutting in Moldova today.