I just came across this article at the Washington Times. Delaware is exporting firewood to Haiti in an effort to stem deforestation in the Caribbean nation. Sound like a good deed, eh?
Here’s the problem: most states on the east coast have started to put some strict limits on firewood crossing state lines to prevent the spread of the Asian Long-Horned Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer. I was personally told by Cape Henlopen that next year all wood will have to be purchased from them for campfires.
If this is the case, aren’t we just risking Haiti’s forests to make a buck?
Haiti’s forests?
I read what happened to Haiti’s forests and it is one of the greatest imperialist crimes in history. It once was a lush tropical region, but the US, through power politics and lumber barons corrupting Haitian officials, so completely denuded the nation that it lost most of its productive top soil from erosion. It’s one of the principal reasons why Haiti can’t come even close to sustaining itself agriculturally today and the people live in grinding poverty.
Ask Jean-Bertrand Aristide about that. Bill Clinton had to remove him and put papa Doc and the gangsters back in power….why?
Certainly wouldn’t be the first example of us screwing over another country’s environment in the name of making or saving a few bucks: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/03/60minutes/main2149023.shtml
“It’s an efficient, low-cost way” to get rid of excess wood present in Delaware, said company President Jim Storm. “It’s wood that’s already been cut down that we had difficulty disposing of.”
Sounds like there is a parallel story about deforestation in Delaware.
There is.
Fuck , this is one fucked up article…..really disturbing. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I don’t think that bugs are the half of it, frankly. IT IS OUR FRICKING FORESTS being cut out of the lower counties…..fuck.
Nancy – if you are concerned about forests being cut down – what exactly do you think is going to happen if you and Burris succeed in earmarking more TTF money for new roads?
We could fuel Haiti for years with the trees cut down for Rt. 26 upgrades, if you count the strip malls and subdivisions that will be built after the road is widened.
Who knew we had “excess wood?”
I’ve been told I have excess wood.
Who knew we had “excess wood?”
Not me. Especially, when you consider the price of a cord of mixed hardwoods.
heh, heh
wood
They should burn the excess wood in the Indian River Power plant to make electricty using “clean wood” technology.
Make the offshore windfarm out of wood?
“Burning Man – Sussex County Edition”