Cut down a forest - Be

Robert Thibodeaux — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:34:21 -0600

Cut down a forest - Be Green! (See end of article)
"If every American recycled one-tenth of their newspapers, we'd save 25,000.000 trees a year"

Actually, this is one of those feel good green statements that is not quite true and leaves out important details and is not a green habit.

A majority of trees used in paper production were planted specifically by the paper company to harvest.
Thus by reducing the use of paper, you are only reducing the need for them to replant the tree they planted themselves in the first place. In fact reduce paper usage has cause some land owned by paper companies to be sold for other uses, actually reducing the number of trees.

Second, newspaper recycling is in itself a very toxic process. The chemicals used in the de-inking process are more toxic and a bigger hazard than the small amount of landfill space that is used.

The motor oil tip is a very good reminder. Use one of your local quick-lube places. They will dispose of the oil properly.

The plastic bottle suggestion is questionable depending on application (aluminum and steel take more energy to produce than plastic) and depend in delivery of the product to count all environmental impacts.

The packaging one is just dumb. Efficient packaging allows product to arrive at a location with the least amount of damage in the most efficient method. Regulations around packaging, while sometimes reducing consumer packaging, have increased both the costs and also energy consumed in transporting the products (less items per pallet and also heaver loads due to less efficients containers for de-packaged goods)

Remember being green is about doing something that actually helps the environment.

About my lead statement:
Go plant a tree and if you also want to help Co2 emission, cut down an old growth forest and plant a new one.
A new forest is more efficient at using CO2 where an old growth forest actually produces as much Co2 due to dead and decaying material, as it consumes.

Doing the Green dance is a lot harder than it looks.

Excellent post!

Tom Schardin — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:36:56 -0600

Excellent post!

More Green to Chew On

Cre8tivegang — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:49:55 -0600

• Did you know that hard-plastic bottles of water actually leach toxins and require 1.5 million barrels of oil to make each year. Instead try buying larger jugs of water and fill a thermos made of lined aluminum, stainless steel or glass. • If every American recycled one-tenth of their newspapers, we'd save 25,000.000 trees a year. • A single quart of motor oil disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000.000 gallons of fresh water. • For every $10 spent buying things, 10% goes to packaging that gets thrown away. • Plant a tree. http://www.arborday.org/

Prior Lake American - More Green to Chew On - Comments

Cut down a forest - Be

Excellent post!

More Green to Chew On