Vince Rutter

Vince Rutter wants to get people thinking about fire in Northern Ontario forests. Forest fires are the result of a complex, intertwined set of issues. Rutter believes the solutions are intertwined, including sourcing energy from our forests and changing our negative attitudes about cutting down trees. Rutter has been deeply connected with forests in northwestern Ontario for about 30 years … he moved to Thunder Bay in 1996 to take the forestry program at Lakehead University. …Rutter said that harvesting and burning wood for energy doesn’t release any more CO2 than would be released after the tree died anyway. Besides, filters and controlled burning means the process can be more environmentally friendly. So why don’t we rely upon wood energy more? …“Canadians are scared to work the forests,” Rutter said. “We’re harvesting about half of our annual allowable cut. The other half is accumulating — dying and rotting, or catching on fire.”