Rather to my own surprise, I somewhat disagree.

While of course I would prefer that the tropical rain forests remain undisturbed, the fact is that in Southeast Asia the trees are being simply burnt to make way for oil palms. As this seems unstoppable, it makes more sense to cut the trees and export the lumber rather than slash and burn.

So I offer a different suggestion: Buy offsets. That is, purchase existing tropical rain forests and protect those while continuing to obtain hardwoods from the areas which are becoming oil palm plantations.

thx for this!

Regarding the first comment, David, you might be interested to know that those in Indonesia clearing rainforests for oil palm plantations are very often the same companies cutting the trees before doing so to export wood. This is not a 'good' practice any more than it is a good practice to log forests in the Amazon prior to cattle ranches. The reason is that the companies planting oil palm aren't really making money on the palm oil but rather are making the most money on selling the trees. In effect, the demand for the high-value wood creates the incentive to get a license to clear for oil palm. Often, the plantations never happen as the companies, often divided into logging and palm oil companies, but owned by the same entities, are set up just to get access to the trees, and then don't follow through with the plantations.

Be that as it may, the solution to this is both to eliminate the demand for the wood and to eliminate the demand for palm oil.

Neither logging nor clearing for oil palm should be taking place in primary tropical rainforests.

And carbon offsets aren't the answer, either. I've seen with my own eyes the 'plantations' of eucalyptus put up in Costa Rica with money from US power plants. The recipient companies come into an area, log the rainforest trees, then apply for funds from the US/Costa Rica bi-lateral Clean Energy fund, take that money and throw up a few eucalyptus seedlings. Then they put up a sign saying this is a plantation that's part of making the world more sustainable. BS.

tim keating

Hi,,

Sometimes we just do things without thinking much. Last year I myself bought about 1,000 square feet of exotic Cherry Wood called Curupay, to place on our home floor. It is beautiful wood but now I may not like it as much since it did contribute to the removal of one more element of a tropical rainforest..., strictly for our pleasure.

Thanks.. and I will be more careful in the future..., providing that we have one of course..

Jean-Louis Turcot

Tim Keatting --- Thanks for the update. After thinking about it for awhile, I still believe my plan is moderately good. Even if New York City stops buying the hardwoods, the logger will simply sell the lumber elsewhere, say to some Chinese.

My plan asks New York City, Jean-Louis Turcot, etc., to contribute a equal sum to an environmental organization which will buy and protect existing tropical forests, not pale imitation re-plantings.

This topic was discussed before when Atlantic City repaired its boardwalk. Aren't there alternatives in the north? I thought one wood was that of the North American honey locust, Robinia Species. If so, this tree is very easy to grow, even on poor, sandy, rocky places where it is difficult to cultivate trees. Plus, it spreads with its roots, sending out many shoots over an area.