Tags
Derrick Jensen, environmentalism, industry, injustice, logging, Strangely Like War, sustainability
Been reading. Strangely Like War is a book by Derrick Jensen and George Draffan. It is direct work that quickly and assertively lays bare the evils of the international logging industry. It refutes the claims of the industry’s apologetics, and lays bare their hypocritical and ignorant justification. It also exposes the corrupt business of corporate logging companies. The book does not shrink from the inconvenient facts; it does not pander to easy solutions. It is upsetting, and rightfully so.
These things I learned: Apologetics claim that forests are a renewable resource. This is bullshit. Regrowth that does occur is single-age, single-height, and usually single species. The biodiversity that has evolved for hundreds of years is destroyed by “sustainable logging”. Plus, there has not been a single instance of a plantation lasting more than three rotations. Apologetics also claim deforestation improves the habitat for wild animals. This is also bullshit. What it does do is allow a few species (like white-tailed deer) to thrive while hundreds of casualties suffer. When a logging company comes along and chops down part of a forest, it cuts a sharp edge in the forest. Normally there should be a natural buffer created by different species and different ages of growth. But logging doesn’t provide that. The hundreds of species that require old growth go extinct. Invasive species take over. Furthermore, the roads created by logging companies lacerate the land inhabited by plant and animal communities, especially smaller species. Also these roads become vulnerable to erosion, landslides, and flash floods, which bring further destruction. Also the vehicles that populate these roads pollute the air, the dirt, the water, and everything around them. Which kills both animal and plant life. Including fish. Run-off from these roads enters creeks and rivers, carrying with it the pollution that will, in turn, kill aquatic life. The destruction brought by industrial logging doesn’t stop at plant and animal life. Indigenous human communities are devastated as their
land-base becomes polluted and the animals and plants they depend on die. Those that protest or resist illegal logging have to run through the endless hoops of a corrupt judicial system run by the bedmates of loggers. They also have to face the police who enforce the actions of the logging companies. They also have to face the logging companies own private mercenaries. And all of this for the ubiquitous totalitarianism of a culture consisting of 40+ hour work weeks and frankenfood served on compartmentalized plastic plates.
I am privileged enough to live within a fifteen minute walking distance of the oldest Douglas fir in Forest Park, here in Portland. I don’t know how old it is, (I’m sure it close to the 750-year natural life expectancy). Standing 240-something feet tall, and 17.3 feet in circumference, I can’t help but stop every time I walk by and wonder at the mere size of the tree. I also can’t help but wonder what it would be like to walk these same hills a hundred years ago when this giant wasn’t alone (maybe something like this?). But at the end of the day I still have to face the fact that less than five percent of native forest remains in the United States. And these are being logged. There’s no way around it. Industrial logging is fucked up.
(i’ve already made my points about alienating, totalitarian tone/rhetoric here via a different forum)
but here’s what i’m still waiting to know: do you really think all forms of logging ares bs? do you really not differentiate between “industrial” and “sustainable?” if you truly think logging is evil, how do you live out that conviction? do you really think that people who see more shades of grey here are full of bs? that anyone who logs is f’ed up? do you really, truly want to be a hunter gather? you seem to legitimately care about the ramifications of our actions–have you thought through all the ramifications of a h.g. lifestyle, from both a historical and contemporary perspective?
What does logging support? Does it support civilization? Then no, I don’t think it matters what label you put on it, it’s not sustainable. Are we talking about individuals or local small communities harvesting wood for shelter and tools? ‘Cause that’s different. I’m definitely not proposing a hands-off-nature approach. On the contrary. I would rather deepen my connection to my land-base, and growing a perspective that sees a tree not merely as a resource, but a living organism with value deserving respect. Such a perspective is fundamental, in my opinion, to adopting any lifestyle that is truly sustainable.
as i previously mentioned…let’s see. the house you live in. the paper you draw on. the books you read. the table you eat off of. the guitar you play. etc. etc.
so i’m quite curious to hear what you mean when you say “deepen my connection to your land base.”
don’t you think there’s an awful lot of judgment in your assumption that no loggers view trees as “living organisms with value?” maybe you just need to have more conversations with people.
Even though you move on to quickly for me, I’ve been trying to read some of this stuff. Geez should’ve stayed on anarchism. I’m looking forward to talking to you over xmas.
I should’ve stayed on anarchism, or you should’ve?
You.
Sorry about that.