Talking About Green

Of all the ways the modern man harms our planet, deforestation is arguably the most devastating. As well as affecting the world’s climate and creating an eyesore upon the land, around 50,000 species of plant, animal and insect are lost each year as a result of the destruction of forests.

Forest currently covers around 30 per cent of our planets land mass. However if deforestation continues at its current rate it could be as few as 100 years before this evidence of a world unharmed by humans vanishes.

There are many reasons why our forests are cut down. What these reasons have in common is that they are all for human benefit.

The primary cause of deforestation is agriculture and it’s the developed world’s incessant craving for meat that is driving this. Grazing livestock, and harvesting the food to feed them, takes up an incredible amount of land. We could do a lot to reduce the rate of deforestation simply by thinking of meat as a treat to have once or twice a week, rather as something we must have in order to make a meal ‘complete’.

We can also blame our growing world population and the need to house everyone. Wood is a vital ingredient in the construction of a new home, as well as the furniture within it. However, we can reduce the impact on our forests by sourcing responsibly.

For instance, oak doors are incredibly popular due to the quality of the material and grandeur of their appearance. Yet choosing oak doors for your home may result in a slight moral dilemma as we worry about the impact the production of oak doors could have on our environment.

So what can you do to ensure you source oak doors or other wooden goods responsibly?

• Choose a company that use reclaimed wood (used wood).
• Choose a company that show the FSC symbol (Forest Stewardship Council).
• Use the internet. Try searching for something like ‘sustainable internal doors UK’.

We can never stop deforestation entirely but we can put the brakes on and ensure that more trees are planted than we cut down.

We simply need to be more responsible in the choices we make. We should not purchase oak doors or other wooden goods without first investigating the credentials of the companies supplying them.

And there is no need for us to eat as much meat as we currently do. Not only is it bad for the environment; it’s harmful to our bodies also.

In addition to meat, we should try to avoid the consumption of palm oil, and foods containing it. The production of palm oil is the instigator for masses of deforestation, the release of greenhouse gases and is responsible for the critically endangered status of the Orang-utan and Sumatran tiger.

This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of UK Oak Doors. Amy is passionate about environmental issues and wants to inform others by writing about them.