Hope for Hemlocks
Hemlocks, of course, are one of our most beautiful and versatile native trees. There's nothing that even comes close in beauty to a hedge of Tsuga canadensis. In recent decades, native hemlocks have been devastated by the non-native hemlock wooly adelgid, but now, researchers at Virginia Tech are studying the possibility of using a beetle from Japan that's a natural predator of the adelgid. Scott Salom, professor of forest entomology, and colleagues have already released 17,000 beetles imported from British Colombia in 1997 and are monitoring release sites to see if the beetle is curtailing the spread of the adelgid. They expect to release the new beetle from Japan within the next two years in similar controlled experiments. According to Salom, these two beetles eat only the adelgid, so researchers believe they could be released in the wild without harm to other plants. Salom says there is hope that the beetle can slow the demise of the eastern hemlock. However, he says it will probably be impossible to completely wipe out the hemlock wooly adelgid because it has been present in the country now for several decades.
And, the latest e-mail newsletter is out from American Forests, with some very newsy items:
The Oil Giant Conaco Phillips has agreed to a huge carbon reduction plan to offset its planned expansion of its oil refinery in Contra Costa county, California. Under the agreement signed with CA Attorney General Jerry Brown, Conaco Phillips will pay $7 million into a fund for projects that will offset the 500,000 metric tons of additional carbon dioxide the plant will emit each year. Conaco also agreed to pay $2.8 million to plant new trees in areas burned by wildfires; pay $200,000 to the Audubon Society to restore wetlands in the San Pablo Bay.
Researchers at Cornell University say pollution is responsible for about 40 percent of deaths worldwide -- another reason to plant more trees.
American Forests is getting funds from American Express to plant 100,000 trees -- part of an AE online contest.
Excuse me for sounding like Martin Luther, but buying carbon offsets and planting trees is like paying the church Indulgences for forgiveness of sins.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions -- and this is one!
Everyone can feel all warm inside, but the radical nature of change we need in our energy system-- indeed in our whole economy -- just won't happen by planting trees and polluter payoffs.
We have to create a green economy that considers waste to be food.
Planting trees is great-- go for it-- but don't kid yourself about the offset in temperate climates.
Most research I've seen indicates that we're far better off paying to keep the forests in the Amazon from being cut down than tree planting here at home.
Tree planting needs to be done-- big timber has either left huge scars of clearcuts on the land for years without paying for replacement plantings -- or shuffled the expense off on taxpayers who fund it through the USDA FS.
Far better to tell Americans that we are going extinct unless we stop driving cars by ourselves, and then invest in Green Collar jobs-- to insulate homes, install solar panels, build wind turbines, and mass transit.
Plant trees-- especially in urban areas-- but do it to cool the planet, not penance.
Tax polluters, oil companies with a high carbon tax.
That will change behavior. Oil companies already know that American behavior will change significantly when oil hits $100 a barrel. That time is coming soon.
As a small green business here in Seattle-- I look forward to the change.
basta/
Timothy Colman
Good Nature Publishing Co.
Posted by: Timothy Colman | October 18, 2007 at 06:53 PM