10/24/2025
Trees
Quite a few years ago, I had an argument with someone (I no longer talk to) about the harvesting of trees. I was considering going into botany/environmental studies at the time, and was taking a class discussing social economics and how they interact with the natural world. We were learning tree harvesting methods. If you aren't aware of the exciting and rivating world of tree harvesting, essentially (the last I checked), some lumber companies claim that the way they harvest is renewable; meaning trees are a renewable source that can be harvested in maximum. Technically, it's true; plants can in fact be reproduced in large quantities (who knew). However, environmentalists push that the way that trees are harvested now make them a nonrenewable source, the reason why being that it's impossible for these companies to not make a lasting effect on the ecosystems these trees remain foundations of.
When this argument occurred, I was reciting exactly what I had learned in class; the four (yes four) different ways of harvesting lumber that essentially allow ecosystems to continue existing that isn't wiping out full forests at a time. The person I was recounting it to immediately said that his dad said those ways of harvesting lumber would cause lumber companies to go bankrupt "within weeks".
When this argument occurred, I was reciting exactly what I had learned in class; the four (yes four) different ways of harvesting lumber that essentially allow ecosystems to continue existing that isn't wiping out full forests at a time. The person I was recounting it to immediately said that his dad said those ways of harvesting lumber would cause lumber companies to go bankrupt "within weeks".
First of all: not true, any sort of harvesting company is probably well off, especially ones like lumber which work with a highly demanded (highly possible) renewable resource such as trees. Two: There are studies out there that describe companies like these being completely aware of these techniques but continue to clear cut simply because it's profitable to do so in the present.
