Hug a tree farmer this week …

Dear Editor:
April 22 was Earth Day and Americans can celebrate the good news about our forests. The United States has more forest cover than it did in 1920. Americans plant about 2 billion trees per year. Young forests produce 1.07 tons of oxygen that we need to sustain life and absorb about 1.47 tons of carbon dioxide for every ton of wood that is grown. Carbon dioxide is one of the “green house” gases thought to a cause of global warming.

In addition to improving our quality of life, wood products are themselves energy efficient. To manufacture one ton of cement takes five times more energy than to manufacture a ton of wood products. A ton of glass requires 14 times more energy than wood, a ton of steel requires 24 times more energy and a ton of aluminum requires a whopping 126 times more energy to manufacture than a ton of wood products.

For tree farmers, every day is Earth Day. Don’t just hug a tree, hug a tree farmer.

Sincerely,
Dwight L. Stewart
Summerton, S.C.