Trees Giveth, and Trees Taketh Away
Bjorn Lomborg is one of the most reviled men in the world. Say the name amongst some of your liberal friends, and you’ll see a reaction akin to a weasel getting a high colonic. However, much of what he says just makes good, plain, common sense. ”Lawks a mussy, Mr. Rhett! To say such things!”
The thing that gets me the most is hearing, to coin a phrase, “the rest of the story.” Here’s an example that’ll freeze your mind.
1. A tree produces oxygen through the process of photosynthesis as it grows and lives. (“Who are you? Dick F-ing Tracy,” right? Well, plow on, Gentle Reader)
2. When that tree dies and decomposes, precisely the same amount of oxygen is consumed. In other words, everything it made it uses up.
Whoops! So, in a forest untouched by dirty dirty dirty human hands, a tree is actually taking oxygen away? How come no one ever told me? Does this mean that timber companies that go in and take out old growth trees might actually be saving oxygen? Well, that could be a scientific stretch and I’ll leave that to smarter people than I, if there are any…
Well, if you made it this far, and were good enough to ignore that last comment, let me give you another example. In his book “The Second Law of Life,” John Schmitz talks at length about entropy and thermodynamics. He’s one of those people that’s smarter than I are. Anyway, he discusses recycling as a politically and socially wonderful idea…but a scientifically horrific one from the standpoint of energy consumption. In a nutshell (sorry), there is a tremendous LOSS of energy during the recycling process that is not made up in any way. Remember, energy cannot be created, it can only be used…and think of these things:
1. Fuel costs for trucks
2. Energy required to melt glass or plastic
3. Energy required to reprocess
I’m not saying stop recycling…but I am saying “Why didn’t we know it was such a terrible waste of energy? I thought that was one of the things we were trying to save!” Then again, I guess I am saying…stop recycling and figure out a better way!
Logic will win some day!
Huh!? Snort, wheeze, burp… Did I fall asleep there for a second? My apologies.
Now, what was I saying?
Jim Willis said,
December 8, 2007 at 11:17 am
Great post Brent. Seems to me that here in the People’s Republic of New York State where recycling is next to godliness, we have just a wee bit of hypocrisy going on. Recycling across the state is the norm. Once upon a time, our leaders in their infinite wisdom imposed a new tax on us called the bottle law, which is a 5 cent per bottle charge that would “encourage” people to recycle their bottles.
Now that most people are recycling in the state, you would think the bottle law, which applies to bottles and cans for soda and other flavored drinks, would be repealed. We can just throw those bottles into the recycle stream, right? Congrats to the “wise” state leaders who thunk it up–we’ve now changed our behavior.
BUT, the state actually wants to EXPAND the bottle law to include bottled water and bottles for other non-flavored drinks. I suspect they covet applying it to all containers someday, including soup cans, mayonnaise and peanut butter! Which points out the lie–the bottle law is not about recycling–it is a new tax. How so? There are many people who don’t bother with the hassle of returning the bottles for their 5 cent refund. And the state keeps that money. More hypocrisy from the left.
catskillcommentator said,
December 8, 2007 at 7:33 pm
That’s not the worst of it — when the tree decays, not only does it consume oxygen, but it combines the oxygen with the carbon in the cellulose to produce –GASP– carbon dioxide! Greenhouse gas! Run ! Run!
As I burn wood for heat, I’ve had some Green Weenie types tell me, “Oh My God! You’re polluting! You’re putting CO2 into the atmosphere.
Wrong.
The tree produces the same amount of C02 that it took out of the air when it was growing, whether it’s burned in the woodstove or decays in the forest. It’s a zero-sum game.
Where were all these hippies when they were touting the woodburning stove back in the 70’s and 80’s? Wot Hoppened??
Conveniently, they forget the truth.
Lets nuke that CO2 producing rain forest.
Roger Thornhill
http://www.commentator.vze.com