Think of it like this... A family member that has died some years ago was a sculptor and he made a huge sculpure that took him/her their whole life then some no brain idiot comes over while you were picking tulips and crushed it with a tri axle. When you come home and notice the scupture is wrecked the guy tells you that he will buy the supplies and you can carve one yourself.. It's kinda like that but we get oxygen to BREATH, they remove radiation, cool neighbourhoods, and provide an awesome relaxing view which has be proven to decrease depression and speed up recovery in hospital patients. So when it comes to something that is not replaceable even with a 200K number, I'd say that's pretty reasonable.
Lol, i sometimes wonder if you listen to yourself. Your comparison to a sculpture is flawed. First off, the "sculptor" (whether you want to call him God, mother nature, or gaia) is still alive and still producing "sculptures" at a blistering pace. It makes me wonder how many of this tree's offspring did the homeowner mow off. The "sculptor" was still working, but the guy didn't want any more.
Secondly, a maple tree is not a unique work of art. They are more like a McDonald's sign, you can't turn around without bumping into one. I've got a couple of this same tree in my backyard that are coming down this summer.
Thirdly, you do realize that trees are not the biggest producer of oxygen on this planet, and if you throw in the tropical jungles around the world, this specific tree was responsible for a very minuscule amount of the oxygen produced. If you or this guy are so concerned about oxygen, are you riding bikes to work?
Fourthly, on hot days, how many people do you see enjoying the shade? Bet they are all either in front of a fan or ac unit. (I know this one can be argued, but threw it in to be difficult. I'd prefer owning a house that i don't have to ever worry about tree damage than one that's shaded by many trees.) I'm also sure this guy really enjoyed having to rake leaves every fall.
And fifthly, not everyone's taste in "art" is the same. I don't find trees relaxing and don't find them beautiful.
I think 200k would be an outrageous ploy to profit from something that many don't even consider a bad day, much less a tragedy. Honestly, i think some people need to reevaluate what actually constitutes a tragedy.