TO THE EDITOR
That leaves 30 percent (90,000 tons) of C
emitted to the atmosphere by way of decom-
position or burning without energy produc-
tion. A typical Douglas fir stand with an age
of 50 years can store approximately 125 tons
of C per acre. Therefore, only 720 acres of the
area harvested needed to be reforested in
2006 to store 90,000 tons of C in 2056. Now,
I’m guessing that 594 MMBF was not har-
vested from only 720 acres — that would
equal 825,000 BF per acre! Starting to sound
a lot like net positive C storage?
The forest ecosystem alone cannot frame
C emissions to the atmosphere. Forest C se-
questration must consider all parts of the C
chain, such as: trees, forest products, bio-
mass, detritus and soil; the processes of
growth, photosynthesis, respiration, mortal-
ity, litter production; and disturbances. The
atmosphere doesn’t care where the C is se-
questered.
Finally, we can all be happy that our trip
across the country is only about half as bad
(but still bad) as it originally suggested. Some
100,000 cars driving cross-country roundtrip
equates to about 20 million gallons of fuel.
Gasoline has about 5.5 pounds of C per gal-
lon. That basic math works out to be 55,000
tons of C, or 200,000 tons of CO2. If reduc-
ing our carbon footprint is a top priority,
maybe it is time we as a society demand to be
informed, and not misinformed?
Michael Vanderberg
Corvallis
PRIVATE FATAL HARVEST
I share your frustration, Rheychol Paris
(9/13), regarding the continuing onslaught of
our Coast Range forestlands, and I also desire
“to take steps to protect what is left.” Much of
that devastation you’ve seen, however, has
actually been done on private lands, not pub-
lic, and the laws regulating private land “har-
vesting” of trees are paper thin in Oregon. Is
there a politician out there willing to step up
to the plate to introduce even the most tenu-
ous of legislative reform? Doesn’t look that
way, and environmental groups in Oregon are
focused solely on public land oversight, espe-
cially that tiny percentage of old growth
that’s hanging on by a thread.
The private land situation is the 900-
trekking?
pound gorilla in the room nobody knows
what to do with. From my Highway 36 home
in the foothills of the Coast Range, I witness a
logging truck going by, literally, every 10
minutes, and those logs on board are from
private lands, not public. If any readers of the
EW have suggestions that can help assuage
my sense of hopelessness on the situation, I
would love to hear them.
Bob Berman
Cheshire
GAME OF CONTROL
Win in the Middle East? The Great Game
isn’t about winning!
From the days of the Roman Empire there
has been a political awareness that running or
owning a country was more expensive than
instilling social chaos, then bribing local war-
lords with arms in exchange for the resources
you need. Because these puppet rulers are
foreign-supported, they will be unpopular
and dependent on the empire’s arms and sup-
port to stay in power. Look at Israel under the
Romans. Herod was a flunky. Look at every
petty despot in South America and Asia we
have supported.
We don’t want peace or victory — we
need a nation too weak to say “No” and make
it stick.
The end game is to “manage” Middle East
oil so we get oil consistently enough and just
a little cheaper so we can maintain a 1 or 2
percent cost of manufacturing advantage
over the other nations of the world until the
oil dries up. That 1 or 2 percent manufactur-
ing advantage doubles by the time a product
hits the street, and with U.S. distribution and
advertising muscle, that little gap means we
can muscle the global market.
It amazes me this ancient and well-under-
stood game is never explained in the press.
Nothing about this is a mystery. The real
problem is in public relations here in the U.S.
where a messy affair big enough to make
evening hour news means losing elections
and the ability to wax rich from the gifts and
deals the people in power can deal.
Remember, refusing to let any other na-
tion control Middle East oil was the heart of
the so-called “Carter Doctrine”!
Leo Rivers
Cottage Grove
medical advice for
global travelers
T HE T RAVEL C LINIC
John D. Wilson, M.D.
1200 Hilyard St., Suite S-560 • 343-6028
Start traveling healthy today at www.TravelClinicOregon.com
S TO P C U L TU R A L C AR N AG E ! ! !
Stop the Bulldozers!!! $40,000,000 to fill a couple holes???
Vote NO on 20-134
OR ELSE
New Zone Gallery – GONE!!! Tango Center – GONE!!!
John Henry’s – GONE!!! Horsehead – GONE!!!
Jameson’s – GONE!!!
Get out the vote!!
No on 20-134
For more information visit: SensibleDowntownDevelopment.org
OCTOBER 18 2007 9