Cooler Smarter by The Union of Concerned Scientists

Author:The Union of Concerned Scientists
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Island Press

ASK THE EXPERTS

Does Wood Harvested Sustainably Really Make a Difference?

Most of us use wood products every day and purchase more than we realize. Of course, furniture and many of the building materials used to construct our homes and offices are made of wood, as are the paper products we use daily. Unlike fossil fuels and metals, the world's supply of wood is renewable. And, compared with steel, concrete, plastic, and brick, wood is a low-energy and low-emissions material for packaging and building—but only when it is not the cause of deforestation.

Worldwide, deforestation is occurring at an alarming rate, with an acre of tropical forest lost every second. As a result, emissions from tropical deforestation account for some 15 percent of the world's total carbon emissions—an enormous and largely preventable share. We cannot address global warming effectively if we ignore 15 percent of the problem.

The good news is that more wood products are being reused and recycled today than ever before. Improvements in recycling technology, availability, and financial support continue to help the spread of recycling efforts, which can further reduce pressures on primary forests. Buying recycled wood and paper products is a great way to lessen the demand for virgin timber.

Meanwhile, voluntary certification programs allow timber companies to meet globally approved standards of sustainable management. One of the largest certification programs, by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), has a specific set of forest management criteria that are currently being used on 41 million acres of tropical forest. Voluntary certification programs alone are unlikely to solve the problem of deforestation, but they do give consumers the opportunity to influence forestry practices and help prevent deforestation. The next time you are buying wood or wood products, look to see that they are certified as sustainably grown. Buying FSC-certified wood helps fight illegal deforestation by rewarding landowners who are managing their forests sustainably.

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