Tree Lies

Hey Mr. Green,
I recently read that there are more trees now in the United States than ever before. Is this true?--Betsy in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

People propagating such claims should be plopped down in the woods to do a tree census, barefoot, sans GPS or ATV.

Today, the total forest cover in the United States is only about 70 percent of what it was before European colonization: 746 million acres, down from 1.04 billion, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Species such as the American elm and chestnut have been decimated by imported diseases.

In any case, simple numbers are somewhat irrelevant because what matters most is the quality of forest. Some of what are called "forests" are just timber plantations bereft of biological diversity or second-growth groves whose habitats are diminished or open to intense logging practices.

Also, many forested lands are now fragmented, which reduces accessible woodland habitats, making it harder for wildlife to thrive. To remain healthy, forests need to be buffered by protected or undeveloped land. To learn more, or to get involved, read the Sierra Club report America's Great Outdoors at http://bit.ly/sc_ago.

One bit of good news: Forest cover has declined by only 1.5 percent in the past century, thanks to government rules, improved stewardship, and the reversion of marginal farmland to forest. We have also greatly expanded our forest reserves in parks and wilderness areas.

But here's the bottom line: A whopping 93 percent of U.S. forestland isn't permanently protected by federal law.

Bamboo Blessings

Hey Mr. Green,
A friend and I are debating whether bamboo is as environmentally friendly as it's billed to be. Sure, it grows fast. But it has a tremendous carbon footprint since it has to be shipped from overseas. Then again, so do a lot of other kinds of wood. We're wondering if it's just a wash?--Wendy in Des Plaines, Illinois

It all depends on how--and how far--the bamboo or wood is transported. Ocean vessels emit less than a sixth of the carbon dioxide that big rigs do while moving one ton of stuff the same distance. So it's possible that bamboo shipped in from, say, China could have a smaller footprint than domestically grown wood trucked 1,000 miles, or brought 2,000 miles by rail.

But there are other issues with bamboo: Some operators hack it down prematurely, which can damage the bamboo stand. Also, foreign factories with lax safety standards often use glue containing toxic formaldehyde to bind it. This endangers workers and may pollute indoor air. To get low- or no-formaldehyde bamboo and to support clean manufacturers, check for a "Floorscore" or the Scientific Certification System label; scscertified.com/products lists SCS brands. If an item isn't certified, ask the dealer about factory and harvest practices.

Among bamboo's great virtues are, yes, its rapid growth, but also the healthy wildlife habitat it provides, and the fact that it inhales carbon dioxide faster than trees do. Some bamboo aficionados get carried away with simplistic claims about its moral superiority, but in fact, a fair amount of traditional wood is now being harvested and processed sustainably and can be a safe option. Go to the Forest Stewardship Council's Web site (fscus.org) to find retailers that carry cleaner lumber.