Does Deforestation Mean the Timber Industry Should Shut Down?
It seems there are some folks that feel we shouldn’t be using trees for Christmas trees because of deforestation. I contend that there is such a thing as responsible forest husbandry and that as long a seller can prove the trees came from a responsible forest planting and regeneration program then the using of a natural tree is acceptable. If I did not believe that then I would have to advocate that the entire timber industry be shut down. That advocacy would be doomed to failure because of the reliance humans have had over the years – thousands of years – on timber products. Let’s look at a 2003 graph for the UK: That came from this report: http://www.ttf.co.uk/industry/statistics/ Apart form the many benefits in consumer and industry goods that the timber industry provides I think there are arguments that some techniques used in the timber industry are of benefit to our tall friends in the woods. http://en.wikipedia.
