When Trees Attack: Woman Impaled by Falling Limb

Trees are not always our friends. Just ask Sonny Bono… oh, wait, you can’t. Because A TREE KILLED HIM. Well, you can ask Michelle Childers, the woman who miraculously survived being impaled in the neck by a wayward tree limb that was hell-bent on destruction.

Childers was enjoying a leisurely drive on a rural road in Idaho on September 5th with her husband when a spruce tree crashed through the passenger side window of the vehicle. All she felt was a “strange pressure” as her husband told her she’d been impaled.

They drove to a nearby lodge for help, and a helicopter transported her to the hospital where the tree limb was safely removed after 6 hours of surgery.

The photos and video are a gruesome reminder that just about anything, no matter how innocent it may seem, can be deadly. Watch out for that tree!

Link [The Huffington Post]

Growing Chair: From the Forest to Your Living Room

Instead of cutting trees down to create chairs, why not create chairs made from living trees? That’s the idea behind the ‘Growing Chair’, an attempt to make trees and plants grow into chairs that can be harvested and brought straight from the ‘field’ to your living room.

Designer Michael Bussein describes his vision:

The Nature Manifesto

Having evolved from nature, we have gradually differentiated ourselves from it. Modern society has come to build itself on the perception that nature and man are separated. This differentiation has come to inhibit us and our way of creating. We have now reached the point when the way forward is going back.

We have to accept that we and everything we create are part of nature.

This mindset is essential for evolution as a whole. When applying this to our way of thinking we will liberate ourselves from stagnated conventions.

To move further we need to incorporate the living matter that surrounds us. Let us use the complexity of living nature and include it in our creations. These creations will then redefine the way we reconstruct nature. Only then will we truly move forward.

It is time for man and nature to reunite.

Fast-growing willow trees and a Russian vine are planted together and grown in a chair-shaped ‘greenhouse’ that trains them to retain the shape of a chair. Once the plants have grown strong, the greenhouse is removed and the chair is cut from its roots.

It would be interesting to see what the chair looks like once the greenery, including the vines holding the willow trees together, would look like once it died. It seems that keeping the trees and vines rooted in soil would make for a prettier final product. But, it’s a fascinating idea all the same!

Link [Erik Sjödin] via [Ecofriend]

The 5 Best Kinds of Tree-Free Paper

Try as we may to cut back our use of paper as much as possible, we still need to use it from time to time. Luckily, you don’t have to be responsible for cutting down trees in order to do so. Planet Green has compiled a list of the 5 best types of tree-free paper, made from materials both familiar (hemp) and strange (elephant poop).

The use of virgin trees for paper continues to be a major environmental problem. Half the trees cut down in the US every year are used for paper, and for every tree cut down, only half can be turned into wood pulp, the substance used to make paper. By using these alternatives instead, you can keep from being part of the problem.

From Planet Green, via The Huffington Post:

Elephant Poop Paper
Elephant poop always makes for a good way to kick off a list, and here it’s likely the most intriguing way to get treeless paper. See, elephants have vegetarian diets, making their dung rich in cellulose—prime paper making material. They also happen to unload around 500 pounds of it every day, making the stuff plentiful and renewable. And elephant poop paper is already being marketed—you can get yours from Pixxlz or Mr. Ellie Pooh. It should be noted that panda poop paper is in the works, too.

Kenaf Paper
Kenaf is a hibiscus plant originally from Africa. It’s fast growing, and an acre of kenaf can produce 11 tons of paper-friendly fiber. By way of comparison, an acre of pine trees can take up to 10 years to be harvest ready, and would produce only around half the paper product. Vision Paper is a premier seller of kenaf paper products.

Sugar Cane Paper
There are a world of reasons to opt for sugar cane paper. It’s made from bagasse, which is the residue left over in the cane plant after the sugar has been extracted. So it’s created from a surplus byproduct, which is good news; and so is the fact that it’s 100 percent biodegradable. It’s also readily available—companies like the Sugar Cane Paper Company and TreeFree Paper already supply the goods.

Bamboo Paper
Bamboo may be a rising star in the treeless paper world: as a crop, it requires extremely little water to maintain, and it has natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that make preserving it easier. While not widely available as a printer paper variety, you can get Bamboo stationary from the folks at Smock.

Hemp Paper
We all might associate hemp with a certain less-productive pastime than writing, but the crop has nonetheless turned out to be a contender for tree-free paper creation. Hemp is one of the most versatile crops, and perhaps if we could ever shake its pot smoke and reggae addled image, we’d see more products like this hemp sketchbook by Green Field Paper.

Link [Planet Green] via [The Huffington Post]
Photo credit: Aquabee Tree-Free Paper, Blick Art Materials

Global Warming Caused Death Rate of Forests in West to Double

The forests of the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, are becoming one of North America’s most potent signs of global warming. The death rate of old-growth forests across the West has doubled in recent decades, and planting new trees simply isn’t keeping up with the speed at which forests are losing trees to global warming-related causes.

It’s happening at all elevations, in trees of varying sizes and species. Air pollution, crowding and fire suppression impacts have been ruled out as causes, and because mortality increased in young trees, the overall death rate can’t be blamed solely on the aging of large trees.

From MSNBC:

Tree mortality doubled in just 17 years in the Pacific Northwest and 25 years in California. Mortality rates in states farther inland took 29 years to double.

“Regional warming and consequent increases in water deficits are likely contributors to the increases in tree mortality rates,” the researchers said.

Van Mantgem noted that “average temperature in the West rose by more than 1 degree F over the last few decades. While this may not sound like much, it has been enough to reduce winter snowpack, cause earlier snowmelt, and lengthen the summer drought.”

That warming also favors insects like the mountain pine beetle, which has devoured forests in recent years.

This could mean major changes in entire ecosystems, since so many other species rely on these trees for survival. Thinner forests and smaller trees won’t support as many animals. What were once full, lush forests acting as carbon sinks keeping the greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere could become carbon sources, with all the dying trees emitting CO2, accellerating global warming even more.

If the death rate has doubled just over a few decades, imagine what these areas could look like 10 or 20 years from now. The West could dramatically change in ways that impact every form of life in the area.

Many global warming deniers have claimed there’s a lack of signs to prove that the earth is reacting unfavorably to greenhouse gases – well, here’s your sign, and it’s right in your own backyard. It’s about 100 feet tall and painted in gigantic, red flashing letters.

Link [MSNBC]
Photo credit: Flickr user D & J Huber

Which is the Greener Christmas Tree: Faux, Fresh Cut, or Potted?

Does buying that new, freshly cut live Christmas tree contribute to deforestation? Is buying an artificial tree made of petrochemicals worth the reusability benefits? Is buying a live potted tree really the best option? Eco-conscious consumers readying their homes for the holidays have these kinds of questions swirling through their minds as they try to prep for the season and stay true to their values.

There are pros and cons to each choice. The Chicago Tribune has a rundown:

ARTIFICIAL TREES

PROS:

An alternative for those with allergies or asthma. Some people are allergic to terpene, the substance found in the oil or sap of Christmas trees, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Durable. They last about six years.

Affordable. They’re generally cheaper than cut trees because you can use them more than once. Trees with polyethylene (PE) needles are more expensive than polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Some come with warranties. Home Depot (homedepot.com) sells trees ranging from $39.99 to $2,499. Target sells a 3-foot Willowstreet Fir artificial tree for $9.99.

Easier to assemble and maintain. Instant Plaid Pull-up Trees ($179) come with decorations in place. Simply pull the tree up over a metal stand and plug it in. Plastic trees don’t shed their needles and don’t need to be cared for.

No risk of a Charlie Brown tree. Artificial trees come in an astonishing array of sizes and appearances. Pre-lit trees save time in assembly, take-down and have been credited for reducing domestic squabbles.

CONS:

Gigantic carbon footprint. Artificial trees are usually made from petroleum and shipped from China; the pole and branches are primarily made of steel while the needles are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), also known as vinyl, or polyethylene (PE).The American Christmas Tree Association sponsored a study that shows artificial trees are healthier for the environment over a 10-year period due to the costs of transporting a real tree from a lot to someone’s home. Still, some beg to differ. “That’s absurd,” said Rick Dungey of the National Christmas Tree Association. “How big is the carbon footprint of the cargo ship that carried the fake tree across the Pacific ocean? OR the 18 wheeler that carried it froma port on the Pacific Coast to a store in Chicago.?”

PVC is not biodegradable. If incinerated, the PVC in the trees emits dioxins and other carcinogens. The manufacture of PVC also creates dioxins. Major retailers including Target and Toys “R” Us are phasing out products with PVC.

Lead is often used as a PVC stabilizer. Lead, a toxic metal that can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, is more dangerous for children. University of North Carolina researchers tested the lead content in branches, on hands after contact and in dust under the tree. They found that “while the average artificial Christmas tree does not present a significant exposure risk, in the worst-case scenario a substantial health risk to young children is quite possible.”

No natural scent. Some people solve this by using aerosol sprays or pine-scented air fresheners, but the fumes from most products contain dozens of chemicals, including several classified as toxic or hazardous, according to a University of Washington study.

Check out the Chicago Tribune’s assessment of freshly cut Christmas trees and potted trees as well.

Of course, you could always go for a mod look by decorating some branches with lights and ornaments, or simply decorate a tree in your front yard. Check back with us throughout December for tips on eco-friendly holiday decorating!

Link [The Chicago Tribune]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

More Pine Forests Succumbing to Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation

The bark beetle problem extending from New Mexico to British Columbia is getting worse, turning the region’s signature pine forests from green to rust red. Montana has already lost a million acres, and the news in Colorado and southern Wyoming is even worse. In Montana’s capital city, Helena, loggers are racing to cut down infected trees to stop the beetles from spreading.

From The New York Times:

In Wyoming and Colorado in 2006 there were a million acres of dead trees. Last year it was 1.5 million. This year it is expected to total over two million. In the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, the problem is most severe. It is the largest known insect infestation in the history of North America, officials said. British Columbia has lost 33 million acres of lodgepole pine forest, and a freak wind event in 2006 blew mountain pine beetles, a species of bark beetle, over the Continental Divide to northern Alberta. Experts fear that the beetles could travel all the way to the Great Lakes.

In the next three to five years, Mr. Kyhl said, virtually all of Colorado’s lodgepole pine trees over five inches in diameter will be lost, about five million acres. “Already in many places, every lodgepole over five inches is dead as far as the eye can see,” he said.

Foresters say the historic outbreak has several causes. Because fires have been suppressed for so long, all forests are roughly the same age, and the trees are big enough to be susceptible to beetles. A decade of drought has weakened the trees. And hard winters have softened, which allows the beetles to flourish and expand their range.

The beetle drills through the pine bark and digs a hole in the wood where it lays its eggs. The larvae inject a fungus to stop the tree from moving sap, which could drown them, and that fungus stains the wood blue. The trees emit a white, candle wax-like resin into the beetle’s drill hole in an attempt to fight them off, which sometimes works – but in some cases, the beetle emits a pheromone call for reinforcements, causing a swarm that kills the tree.

The reason for all of this? Warming temperatures. Decades ago, temperatures dropped to 30 or 40 degrees below zero in the Rockies, which kept infestations like this at bay. Now, the beetles have free reign. And, the death of all these trees is of course having a major effect on the forest ecosystem. In Yellowstone, for example, the white pine trees falling prey to the beetles grow nuts rich in fat, which grizzly bears depend upon for survival. Flash floods could also be a problem, and all of these dry forests are at major risk of fast-spreading fire.

This is one of the most obvious ways in which we’re already experiencing the effects of global warming here in North America. If this isn’t a blaring siren of warning, I don’t know what is.

Link [The New York Times]
Photo credit: Dion Manastyrski, B.C Ministry of Forests and Range

Tree-Dwelling Environmental Activists Finally Come Down

Protecting the redwoods of Northern California has been a full-time job for a rotating cast of environmental activists for two decades now.  They’ve taken turns living in the trees to ensure that the ancient redwoods weren’t cut down, but the activists are finally convinced that the forest will be safe without them.

The details from Green Daily:

The last two tree sitters who were among many during protests that lasted two decades in Humboldt County came down last week, according to the Associated Press, having been convinced by the new owners of the forest they would “spare the ancient trees from the saw.”

For all intents and purposes, the great timber wars there ended, quite peacefully actually, despite the violence that marked the long battle between the lumber company that formerly owned the old-growth redwoods and environmental activists. The long battle included pepper stray, a car bombing and a civil lawsuit decided in activists’ favor. The new owners, operating as Humboldt Redwood Co., have reportedly promised to protect organisms that have been alive since B.C. and avoid clear-cutting, a practice the company had aggressively practiced under its previous owner, Maxxam Inc.

A great war has ended.  We won this one.  All of the time that people like Julia Butterfly Hill have devoted to save these beautiful trees has made an undeniable impact.  Hopefully Humboldt will stick to their word – and if they don’t, you can bet that the tree-protecting activists will be back.

Link [Green Daily]

NYC Waterfall Installations Might be Killing Trees

So, those NYC waterfall installations might not be so great after all. Four waterfall installations located around the NYC metropolitan area were installed in June and lauded for their efforts to green it up by reusing the materials in construction projects after the installations come down. They also took pains to avoid harming aquatic life. Too bad they didn’t think about how all that salt water would affect trees downwind of one of the waterfalls.

Gothamist has it:

Artist Olafur Eliasson may soon have tree blood on his hands – the Brooklyn Bridge waterfall installation is kicking up such a salty spray that downwind trees are turning brown and “looking as if it’s November,” the Post reports. The saltwater is interfering with their photosynthesis, and the owner of the River Café, which has gardens just south of the bridge, is worried that the trees he planted over three decades ago are suffering too much for public art. The Parks Department agrees they’re “showing signs of stress,” and the Public Art Fund, which is producing the NYC Waterfalls, has hired a tree service to try and save them.

Oops. Hopefully they’ll be able to save the trees. That would certainly be a waste. Waterfalls are cool and all, but they’re just for human enjoyment and it would be a shame if they messed up the local ecosystem.

Link [Gothamist]

Awesomely Creepy Trees: From Frightening Faces to Gnarled Branches

As an environmentalist, it may be a bit cliché (or just really obvious) that I like trees.  They’re just cool – how old they can live to be, how many different shapes and sizes they come in, and the way they can evoke so many different moods depending on their texture, leaves, the way their branches curve or how they’re lit at different times of the day.  I’m also a big fan of old school classic (I’m talking 1965 and earlier) horror movies, and the uniquely eccentric vision of Tim Burton, so naturally I love creepy trees.  There’s just something about them.  Here are some of the coolest creepy tree pictures you’ll ever see.

Check out the rest at Environmental Graffiti.

Link [Environmental Graffiti]

Timber Companies Finding Profit in Leaving Trees Uncut

Timber companies are facing a reality check right now: the public’s desire for timber products is waning, which means the companies are making less money. This fact has forced timber companies to come up with new and fresh ways to turn a profit. Ironically, this may mean a dramatic change within their industry: leaving trees alone instead of cutting them down.

From Reuters:

Because uncut trees are stores of carbon, forest owners may be able to extract value from them by just leaving them alone, particularly as a U.S. market for trading carbon emissions develops, experts told a conference in San Francisco.

Also, timberland owners and investors can sell easements that protect resources or wildlife, or provide sustainable fuel for burning in biomass power plants.

“Conservation and biomass are new return drivers,” said Andrew Kelsen, director of alternative investments at investment consulting firm Gray and Co.

Doesn’t it just warm your heart to know that timber companies are being such do-gooders? Oh yeah, they’re just doing it to make money. Regardless, we’re glad to hear they’re tackling these issues. It’s huge that companies are realizing that they can ‘go green’ and still make a profit, and in some cases, make even more money than before.

Link [Reuters]

Trees Eating Bicycles, Cars & Benches

I’m about to sound like a real patchouli-scented Birkenstock-wearing treehugger, but here goes: trees are really pretty amazing, when you think about it. Some of them are astoundingly old. Without them, we simply couldn’t survive on this planet, yet we as a species have made life on Earth pretty difficult for them. That’s why I love to see things like this: trees taking back the world! Check out these photos of trees growing around objects that were left nearby for too long.

See the rest of the photos at The Contaminated.

Link [The Contaminated]

Greenwashing in A Photo: Keeping The Borders Green, Clearcut the Rest

There are few things I love more than a nice Sunday drive through the forest.

Photo credit: George Steinmetz

Payback is a Bitch: Treekilling Aussies Get Punked with Huge View-Blocking Box

So you know how your mom used to pull mean shit like washing your mouth out with soap if you used a dirty word or making you do push-ups till you cried when you tried on your sister’s dresses? Well, your mom is a bitch. And so is payback. An awesome, powerful, vengeful bitch- much like the bad ass Mother(earth)lovers of the Port Stephens Council.

A bunch of yuppie tree-murderers in Australia learned that lesson the hard way after the recent disappearance of 20 trees off the coast of Boat Harbor, Australia. The Daily Telegraph reported that after 20 Banksia trees were mysteriously chopped down to create a clearer waterfront view for the surrounding houses, the Council retaliated by slapping down two huge, green cargo carriers right where the trees were. The Council had already warned that chopping down trees was very naughty (and illegal), and they weren’t going to say it twice.

It was time for those bad little residents to pull down their pants and take their municipal spankings. Of course now the residents are whining that they were being treated like children. What do they expect? Break the rules in Port Stephens and you get your ass handed to you. Way to kick ass and take names Port Stephens.

Link [Daily Telegraph]