By Luc Robitaille, Vice president of marketing, Mirage
Wood is one of the most natural and sustainable resources available. There are many claims within the hardwood flooring industry that suggest using trees is beneficial for the environment. This is true. In fact, when trees in a forest age or become too numerous, they stop growing and start to rot, releasing carbon dioxide into the environment.

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

In some instances, this statement can be wrongly perceived as “greenwashing.” Some people believe this argument is used by the forest industry to promote the use of wood and hide harmful effects of cutting trees. Here are some explanations why it is not greenwashing at all:

It is true that dead trees can become food and fertilizers for other species, which is vital long term for forest revitalization. However, it is the equilibrium between wood cuts and the use of healthy and dead trees that is most beneficial to the environment.

A sound and healthy tree absorbs CO2 from the air to release oxygen into the atmosphere while storing the carbon. This natural process assures better air quality and contributes to a decrease in greenhouse effects.

Here is an interesting fact to show the efficiency of trees: Specialists estimate that one acre of mature trees can absorb the carbon equivalent of one car traveling 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, and 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 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 6 billion metric tons a year).

An article from the National Post in April 2008 states a similar situation in British Colombia, Canada, where an insect caused the death of pine trees. This article noted 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.

These facts prove that a correct equilibrium between allowing nature to do its thing and proper cutting and harvesting techniques are most beneficial for the environment, not only for today but in the future as well.