Saving the Old Growth Forests Essay -- Logging, Deforestation Essays

Saving the Old Growth Forests America’s Old Growth Forests are an endangered resource that is quickly disappearing. The ancient forests are being unnecessarily wasted, and are growing smaller and smaller with each passing moment. Because the logging industry and the organizations in control of much of the remaining old growth (approx. 5%) are failing to see its value from an ecological/spiritual perspective, the children of tomorrow may never gaze upon the history of today if we do not take a stand now, and prevent the short-sightedness of others from destroying what ultimately belongs to us all. Alternatives to Destruction: Saving the Old Growth Forests. Imagine walking down an ancient path amidst a forest of tangled and twisted trees, some of which have existed since before a time even great grandparents can remember. The air echoes with sounds of life, and the fragrance is that of cedar or juniper†¦ or something not quite either. The living things that dwell here, bridge a gap in time that many are totally unaware of and for the reasons about to be explained, may never become so. The beauty that surrounds this place is unexplainable in the tongue of man, yet its presence can be felt by all who choose to behold it. At least for now†¦ â€Å"In addition to being places of magnificent beauty, the old growth forests of the world represent hundreds of years of life on this planet, and many of the trees are the tallest living things on the planet (Old Growth Forests, 2004).† Because of their size, these trees, and the forests they reside in, are targeted by logging companies such as Weyerhaeuser as highly profitable areas that provide supposed economical benefits to surrounding communities in the way of new jobs. Howe... ...te, and one of world’s most precious and oldest resources will cease to exist, and the only bridge left that spans this ever widening gap in time will be forever closed to those who follow after us. References Brown, P. (1998). Issues and Opportunities Emerging from the Kyoto Protocol [Special issue]. Climate, and Forests. Abstract retrieved March 30, 2004, from http://www.wri.org/wri/biodiv Old Growth Forests. (2004). Saving the Tallest Living Things on Earth [Special issue]. Preserving America's Ancient Forests. Retrieved March 30, 2004, from http://www.americanlands.org/forestweb/oldgrowthed.htm Rain Forest Action Network. (2004). Wake Up Weyerhaeuser. RAN. Retrieved March 30, 2004, from http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/old_growth/ Seideman, D. (1993). Out of the Woods: Vol. . A Forest of Voices (2nd ed.) [Conversations in Ecology].Mayfield.