It is Just a Matter of Time

In a couple of posts back, I wrote about smoking and how it is not only bad for your health but for the environment too. Furthermore, I stated that the creation of cigarettes, through the process of planting tobacco crops and manufacturing cigarettes, destroys about 60 million trees a year. Now, this was just the production of one of many wood-based products in the world.

The World Wildlife Fund of Nature (WFF) has stated, in the Living Forests Report that the demand for wood will triple by 2050. It also seems that paper products and consumption will double in the next three decades, putting more pressure on forests (). Clearly industries that depend on forests will need ways to meet demands in the future. Currently, WWF’s forest conservation objective is to reduce net deforestation and degradation to zero by 2020(WWF).

Acquired At: http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?207367/Industry-key-to-conse
rving-forests-as-demand-for-wood-projected-to-triple-by-2050#

                                            

How do they plan to do this, you ask? Well according to the WWF, by recycling wood-based products in countries where they rarely recycle, and reducing consumption in richer nations the likelihood of succeeding is higher (WFF). By recycling wood-based products like paper in nations that usually do not creates a “…particular potential to reduce pressure on natural forests” (WFF). Furthermore, by also reducing the consumption of wood-based products in richer countries such as the United States, China, and Russia, a serious solution can be made. Why? The richer countries in the world, accounting for only 10% of the population, waste 50% of the world’s paper (WWF). This is a lot, no wonder forests are being depleted so fast every year, for our constant waste is evident. Additional solutions are also included, such as bioenergy and caring for current forests.

Works Cited

"WWF - Industry Key to Conserving Forests as Demand for Wood Projected to Triple by 2050." WWF. WWF Global, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?207367/Industry-key-to-conserving-forests-as-demand-for-wood-projected-to-triple-by-2050>.