By Luc Robitaille, Vice president of marketing, Boa-Franc/Mirage
We all know that wood is one of the most natural and sustainable resources available. There are many claims within the hardwood flooring industry that using trees is good for the environment. In fact, when trees in a forest age or become too numerous, they stop growing and start to rot, releasing carbon dioxide.

However, when mature trees are cut for the purpose of making wood products, the carbon dioxide remains inside them therefore benefitting the environment. This element, combined with reforestation using saplings, begins the air filtration process all over again.

In some instances, what was just stated can wrongly be perceived as greenwashing. Some people think this argument is used by the forest industry to promote the use of wood and to hide harmful effects of cutting trees.

It is not greenwashing at all.

A sound and healthy tree absorbs CO² from the air to release oxygen into the atmosphere while storing the carbon. This natural process ensures better air quality and contributes to decreased green house effects.

Here is an interesting fact to demonstrate the efficiency of trees: Specialists estimate that one acre of mature trees can absorb the carbon equivalent of one car travelling 24,960 miles a year.

When an old tree dies the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere and links to oxygen to create new CO². When carbon proportions are very high, these trees become harmful to the environment.

Did you know that Hurricane Katrina alone left more than 320 million dead trees in its wake and that those trees released close to 105 million metric tons of carbon? The carbon will link to oxygen in a proportion of 12 grams of carbon for 44 grams of oxygen with the effect of creating 385 million metric tons of CO² which is the equivalent of 6.5% of all U.S. yearly emissions including oil, coal, and natural gas—almost six billion metric tons a year.

An article from the National Post states a similar situation in British Colombia, Canada, where an insect has caused the death of pine trees. It mentions that the creation of CO² from those trees will be five times more than the annual emission of all cars, trains, trucks and planes in Canada.

All this proves once more that an equilibrium between letting nature do its thing and proper cutting/harvesting techniques are what is best for the environment today and in the future.