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Also this: > Could looking through trees be the view to a greener future? No. The opposite. It means more harvesting of the trees to yield the raw materials t
by marvindanig 6y ago
Also this:
> Could looking through trees be the view to a greener future?
No. The opposite. It means more harvesting of the trees to yield the raw materials that is wood to produce such a glass.
- reaperducer 6y agoI'd rather see us planting more trees to make glass than building bigger strip mines in the forest to dig up sand for glass.
- zepto 6y agoStrip mines in the forest for sand?
- reaperducer 6y agoYes. I've seen plenty of sand mines, and not one of them was on a beach. Too much water. The mining happens inland.
- christophilus 6y agoEh. Forestry can be sustainably harvested. If incentives are set up correctly, I could see this being a net win.
- marvindanig 6y agoEh, no. That's exactly what the advocates of pulping industry would like you to believe. Leaving aside the pollution of the rivers and the land and the air over the years, replacing a forest like the Amazon (example) and the ecosystem within cannot be measured in terms dollar incentives to an industry. Sustainable harvesting is much like clean coal. The math doesn't actually work, but the advocacy sure does. ;-)
- Broken_Hippo 6y agoYou can have wood without cutting down the Amazon. Besides, I'm not sure if any of the wood I use comes from the Amazon and I think soybeans (and other crops/livestock), lax laws, and lack of enforcement is a much bigger threat to such areas. Responsible wood farming is quite possible, and it can be forced by strong regulation with the ability to enforce some rules and stop imports of things not meeting rules.
- marvindanig 6y ago> …I'm not sure if any of the wood I use comes from the Amazon. Wood comes from a place where a forest (like Amazon) once stood. > …can be forced by strong regulation with the ability to enforce some rules and stop imports of things not meeting. I doubt that any of the above is possible. Businesses can always weasel their way out and do what they need to do to make money.
- aaronblohowiak 6y agoForestry competes with soy and beef for Amazon land use. Prohibitions of forestry lead to clearing the land for cattle. CITES has been effective at sustaining forests through maintaining their economic value while reducing production to sustainable levels. Shannon Rogers podcast on the lumber industry has several episodes dedicated to this if you want to learn more.
- aaronblohowiak 6y agoIf we can convert current pastureland into forests and use the forestry products for building materials, you have effectively created an economically incentivized carbon capture system. Pulp plantations are not forests in the ecological sense, but pulp plantations are not the entirety of modern forestry. Current forestry practices lead to a new increase in tree counts (and eventual carbon capture...) and due to these practices the amount of trees in the USA has been trending upwards since we stopped using trees for charcoal.
- soperj 6y agoWhere I live, sustainable harvesting includes spraying with glyphosate-based herbicide to control Aspen growth, and then replanting with GMO pines. This creates conditions for massive forest fires since Aspen is a natural firebreak species.
- Broken_Hippo 6y agoCompared to glassmaking though. At least trees are renewable. We can grow more. We do this now with wood, and it isn't always necessary to cut down virgin forests to get more. Responsible countries have laws about planting more for each tree you cut, and responsible suppliers check up to make sure they get their materials from upstanding companies. Glass is made from sand - and we have a finite supply. It is definitely not a renewable resource. This isn't getting into the additives and stuff, just the base material (easier to compare).
- timw4mail 6y agoGlass may not be renewable, but it is very recyclable.