Save The Trees - Use More Paper

Sounds rational but the numbers dont't add up. There is still a net loss of forests. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#Forest_loss_and_manageme...

Quote: In the United States, most forests have historically been affected by humans to some degree, though in recent years improved forestry practices has helped regulate or moderate large scale or severe impacts. However, the United States Forest Service estimates a net loss of about 2 million hectares (4,942,000 acres) between 1997 and 2020; this estimate includes conversion of forest land to other uses, including urban and suburban development, as well as afforestation and natural reversion of abandoned crop and pasture land to forest. However, in many areas of the United States, the area of forest is stable or increasing, particularly in many northern states. The opposite problem from flooding has plagued national forests, with loggers complaining that a lack of thinning and proper forest management has resulted in large forest fires.

What this article is describing (trees as a renewable resource for paper/etc) isn’t a natural forest, it’s silviculture. Sure Georgia Pacific etc. will plant a bunch of trees to replace what they mowed through but those trees are all one species and age. The “forests” they create are not good for the environment. They drain the water table, they limit biological diversity and do little ecological good. Ecology is more than just “how many trees are planted, period”, it’s the overall health of a forest/system. The forests that paper companies maintain are not ecologically sound; they’re just a crop, little different from corn or any other agriculture the article mentions. The best thing we could do to make paper more sustainable would be to switch to hemp.

Unfortunately, the manufacturing of paper pollutes the environment, so increasing use of paper will increase the level of pollution. For example, the nice white paper that's used by your printer requires chlorine compounds to bleach it, and these get discharged into the environment. See, for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_pollution

Also, transporting trees to mills and operating the mills requires energy, whose use and production also causes pollution (e.g., waste products from large trucks and oil refineries that end up in the atmosphere).

It amazes me most people can't understand this. It's pure logic. The comparison with cows and beefs is a good one.