Excerpts from a review of
Trees are the Answer
By Dr. Jay Lehr, Science Director of The Heartland Institute

[Dr. Patrick] Moore grew up in a logging camp at the water’s edge on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, following in the footsteps of his father, working for a logging company. Moore knew only this logging camp for his first 15 years before being sent off to a boarding school in the nearby woods, and then on to the University of British Columbia, where eight years later, still in view of the surrounding trees, he emerged with a Ph.D. in forestry.

Through his first-hand research among the trees, more than through his coursework, Moore learned of many destructive forestry practices and spoke out against them, often to the detriment of future career opportunities. That led him to form the activist group Greenpeace, where he worked tirelessly to save the environment from ignorance . . .

In the following paragraphs I will touch the high points of this wonderful book, but I will not keep you in suspense over my conclusion regarding its value. Trees are the Answer is a truly amazing book. It reads like poetry from one who loves the woods and all they hold. It could be a coffee table picture book, with spectacular views of the forests. Each picture was taken with the eye of an artist by the author himself. Finally . . . it could be used as both a high school and college textbook on appropriate forest practices . . .

Explaining Biodiversity

Moore is very well-versed in biodiversity. He explains why it is too broad a term, better divided into genetic diversity (an indicator of the degree of variation in the genetic make-up of individuals within a species), species diversity (the number of distinct species in a given ecosystem), and landscape diversity (referring to the variety of distinct ecosystems in a given landscape) . . .

There is no denying that many old-growth forests are very beautiful, provide important habitat, and in areas where fires are infrequent, live to be centuries old. There is also no doubt that young forests of every age can be beautiful, provide important habitat, and contribute to our material needs. The choice between the two is not an absolute choice between good and evil. There are actually many choices, and in many of those a balance among the positive features of both old and new forests can be found.

Fire in the Mountains

There are few issues regarding the environment in which the public finds itself more involved or better informed than forest fires. Moore does a brilliant job of explaining the role of fires in our forests. To always favor or oppose allowing forests to burn are equally untenable positions. The most reasonable approach balances forest health, timber supply, human safety, and property protection. In Moore’s words, “such a complex mix of factors, each depending on circumstances, cannot be reduced to a simple formula.”

Moore explains that the subject of tree disease is equally complex. Trees get old and sick, and there are limitations on what humans can do about it. The best solutions involve gaining a thorough knowledge of critical pest species and developing strategies to deal with their threats.

Wood Values

One of the greatest misunderstandings about forestry is the value of wood in the world’s economy. Each year the Earth’s population consumes 3.5 billion tons of wood. In North America we primarily use it for houses and furniture, but more than half of the Earth’s timber harvest supplies 2.5 billion people with their primary source of fuel because coal and natural gas are too expensive for them. Wood is a renewable resource and is really the best way to harvest solar energy . . .

Moore notes, “trees provide material and chemicals for a host of other products, and with the knowledge we have gained in working with petrochemicals, they could provide many more.” Wood cellulose is used to make rayon, cellophane, and explosives. Pine tree sap is indispensable for a wide range of products including dyes, synthetic rubber, adhesives, paints, and detergents. Lignin alone, which makes up 50 percent of wood, could form the basis of a new chemical industry as important as petrochemicals.

The greatest challenge for forests and foresters, which is becoming increasingly urgent, will be to provide for the rapidly growing demand for forest products while harvesting sustainable volumes of wood and maintaining protected areas of wilderness.

Communicating Fondness for Nature

Moore communicates on many levels in this book. He is able to explain the science and technology while increasing our sensitivity to the beauty of forests. Additionally, he has an extremely practical side. For those of us who may be directly involved in forest management, he offers a 21-point set of “how to” rules for managing our forests, with advice for foresters, environmentalist researchers, government regulators, and industries . . .

As Moore himself summarized:

“Perhaps the most dangerous myth that has been created in the war of words over the environment is that human activity is somehow ‘unnatural,’ that we are not really part of nature but apart from it. Human intervention in nature is portrayed as fundamentally negative while other species can do no wrong. This gives rise to the perception that humans are not really part of nature, that we are like a cancer on the Earth. There could be no more unfortunate teaching for our children than to further alienate them from an understanding of their place in the natural world.”