Trees are the oldest living things on earth and there is no question that they make our lives more comfortable, convenient, and beautiful. You could say they are our partners in life. Just thinking of our world without trees might take your breath away–literally–and with good reason. We need trees in order to live. Trees create oxygen so we can breathe and provide shade to keep us cool. Every spring and autumn, they also brighten our world with color.
From the newspaper we read each day, or the desk we use at work, or the firewood we burn in the winter, or the tree we climb to bowhunt, we are surrounded by forests and their products. Some are more obvious than others, such as music boxes, bookcases, chairs, cabinets, and porch swings. Others are less conspicuous because they come from wood byproducts, including shatterproof glass, cosmetics, and even medicines.
We use dozens of products that come from trees. For example, cellulose–a major component of cell walls in trees–turns up in products such as paper, insulation, carpeting, ice cream, shampoo, and yes, even ethanol and synthetic gasoline and jet fuel. Chewing gum comes from the latex liquid of sapodilla trees, while pencil erasers are from the latex of rubber trees. Tree bark is used to make cork boards and garden mulch.
Making the wonder of wood that much more wonderful is the fact that trees are a 100 percent renewable natural resource; sustained through wise forest management.
The average American uses 18 cubic feet of wood and 749 pounds of paper–equal to a 100?foot tree with an 18-inch trunk–each year. We eat the many fruits and nuts produced by trees. We burn wood for heat and also use it to build our homes. Paper (made from trees) is used to make the books and magazines we read, boxes, napkins, envelopes, and even movie tickets and shipping containers.
Today, the foresters that manage our country’s forests recognize that trees are a valuable, renewable resource and that it is in the best interest of each of us to conserve them. The idea of sustainable forestry means trying to keep things in balance–when trees are cut down to make products new trees are planted or are naturally regenerated.
Unlike energy derived from solar and wind, trees are the South’s greatest source of renewable energy. It is imperative that we take advantage of them as federal mandates for renewable energy are placed on our state. They are extremely cost-effective and the technology exists to produce a variety of fuels from them.
James L. Cummins is executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their website is www.wildlifemiss.org.