B.C.'S forests can lead fight against clim*le change

Interfor, Maple Ridge, B.C.

1f\UR forest sector is facing chal\-flenges never before seen. The U.S. housing market collapse, export losses due to the rise in the Canadian dollar, and the catastrophic consequences brought on by the mountain pine beetle have had widespread impact throughout our province.

Surprisingly, as bad as things are, B.C.'s forest industry has before it one of the greatest opportunities in more than a generation, an opportunity that will benefit our entire province. That opportunity lies in the key role that wood can play as a solution to tackling climate change.

Increasingly around the world, people want to learn how to put less pressure on the planet. They want to reduce waste and choose products that are gentle on the environment. Sometimes this means using less but more often it means choosing products that have a lighter carbon footprint and come from responsible and sustainable sources.

That's why the B.C. forest industry, Premier Gordon Campbell, and Forests Minister Pat Bell came together recently to launch an unprecedented initiative. It aims to ensure that British Columbians and consumers around the world know that when they purchase B.C. wood products, they're reducing their carbon footprint and helping to tackle climate change.

How do B.C. wood products make a difference? First, trees help to counteract the effects of harmful greenhouse gases. As they grow, trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere into their leaves, woody stems and roots. In the process, they release oxygen back to the atmosphere.

What few people know is that the wood and paper products we make from trees continue to store this carbon for the lifetime of the product, and many times longer when those products are recycled. In fact, wood products are 50Vo carbon by rveight. Moreover, the amount of carbon stored in a typical wood-framed house is equal to the cumulative emissions (30 tons of carbon) from a car over five years.

Second, wood products are produced using the energy of the sun (in a factory called the forest). That process requires just a fraction of the carbon dioxide emissions of products like concrete, steel and plastic, which consume a lot of fossil fuel as they're manufactured. So if we substitute wood for these products, we can achieve further CO2 reductions, since producing less of them requires less fossil fuels.

Third, wood waste materials and logging "leftovers" can be used to create bio-energy. This carbon-neutral energy source can help us replace fossil fuels throughout the province and further reduce our carbon footprint. That's why B.C.'s forest industry is already the largest producer of green energy after BC Hydro. And given the extensive volumes of dead wood available-including the pine beetle-killed stands-the potential to increase this green bioenergy production is substantial.

So, in a world full of choices, why should customers buy their wood products from British Columbia? Because, unlike a number of our international competitors:

Our forests are harvested legally, regenerated promptly, and managed sustainably.

. Our industry makes use of fully 977o of the logs during manufacturing and promotes re-use through recycling.

Our industry welcomes independent scrutiny of how our forests are managed.

Our industry is a leader in using wood-waste and converting it into bio-energy.

Of course, it all starts with B.C.'s sustainable approach to forest management and keeping our forests healthy and growing. B.C.'s forests represent an important carbon reservoir, but they don't absorb carbon dioxide at the same rate over time. With effective, long-term management of our forests, we can increase the amount of carbon stored.

A tree absorbs the most CO2 when it's young and growing. As it gets older, its ability to absorb carbon gradually declines. And when it starts to decay and dies, it begins to release its stored carbon back into the atmosphere.

As beetle-killed forests decompose, for example, the carbon they release contributes to global warming. They're also more susceptible to lightning strikes and fire-and that means a rapid release of CO2.

We can prevent this carbon release and, at the same time, increase the size of BC's carbon reservoir by:

Managing our forests to keep them healthy and growing.

. Harvesting at the right time and manufacturing products that continue to store the carbon.

Switching from using fossil fuels to wood waste bioenergy.

. Using wood products in place of higher-impact products like steel and concrete.

As the world increasingly understands the role of forests and wood products in helping to tackle climate change, and B.C.'s value in this regard, our province and industry are well-positioned to be the global "supplier of choice."

And as we realize this potential, we will revitalize B.C.'s forest industry and provide new hope and economic stability to families and communities throughout our province.