Dr. Soren Bondrup-Nielsen

Wood is a renewable resource — its use is as old as humanity. Like any renewable resource, its use should not exceed the growth of trees. Cod were a renewable resource but we fished at a greater rate than cod could reproduce and grow; the industry collapsed. Where are we headed in forestry in Nova Scotia? The products of our forest industry range from low-value wood chips to higher-value lumber and wood-fabricated material. The wood for this comes largely from clear cutting. …Harvesting has been intense. . …Are we heading in the same direction as we did with the cod? Some of the data certainly seem to show a parallel pattern. We are not there just yet, but harvesting for wood chips can get us there in a hurry. Harvesting for wood chips is often done by chipping everything on site.