| Trees are a very important part of
our planet's ecosystem. Trees purify the air by taking in carbon
dioxide and giving off oxygen. Trees stabilize the ground with
root systems that grow very large and hold the land in place.
Trees provide an environment that protects and nurtures birds,
bugs, and all sorts of animals. Without trees, the Earth would
be more like Mars: a hot, barren, lifeless ball of dust.
Deforestation harms the ecosystem and the
entire planet's well being. We like to use the wood that
trees provide, but we can push too far to acquire and produce
more than we need or want. We become driven to have more,
be better off than the next person, and achieve a status that
our ancestors could not have even dreamed of. We have
technology that lets us subdue and command the entire earth and
all things in it. We sacrifice tomorrow to get results today.
What's the balance?
Simply cutting down trees is not good enough
any more. We must responsibly manage our forests like we would
manage any crop. Certified wood seeks to establish principles
and guidelines for the proper long-term care of our trees. We
must realize that we have a need for wood and wood products
today, but our planet has needs today as well. We must put an
end to our short-term selfishness and look to the future to
insure that what we use today will also be available for us, and
the many non-human species that inhabit the Earth, to use
tomorrow.
An ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound
of cure. Certified wood is not about never cutting down another
tree. Certified wood is about being responsible stewards of the
forests and making sure that all the citizenry of planet Earth,
human or not, have trees today, tomorrow, and forever.
|
To
the top of the page.