Tourism studies – because they think they would be able to travel to Hawaii or the Maldives for work

Design – because they are lazy and want to make things even lazier for themselves

Engineering – because they think they would be able build a Lightsaber

Management -because they want to get a job and earn money while sitting on their butts while telling people what to do

Accounting -because they want to do math but are still struggling with adding and subtracting

Finance – because they want money, lots of money

Computer science and information systems -because they watched the movie hackers, or because they think were good with computers thanks to daily uses of Facebook or MSN

Medicine – because they want to save the world and be rich and respected

Dentistry – because they want to be rich and respected

Physical therapy -because they could not get into medicine

Optometry – because they think the job is easy and makes them rich and respected

Nursing – because they are wanting to go to medicine or wants a job straight after graduating

Veterinary Science – because they want to be rich and respected but hate dealing with patients that can complain

Pharmacy – because they love drugs and they can get more drugs and make more drugs and consume more drugs. Oh and the money is pretty good too.

Public health – because they think they can save the world and thinks doing it one person at a time is too slow

Medical and health sciences – because they think they can get into medicine if they get a high enough GPA from this program

Kinesiology – because they are bullies and want to beat you at all sports

Architecture – because they want to build a building by sitting on their butts

Languages (any) – because they want to meet that cute girl or guy that speaks (insert language here)

Biology – because they think they can get into medicine if they get a high GPA in this program

Divinity and theology – because they have a calling (for little boys)

Religious Studies – because when they were little they saw something and is determined to find out what it was.

Linguistics – because they want to learn to speak

Film and television – because they watch too much film and television

Journalism – because they have lots to say about others

Literature – because they have too much to say about so someone told them to write a book

Library science -because they like collecting books but don’t really like to read

Music – because they think they could be the next famous musician

Music education – because they couldn’t be famous musicians

Drama – because they want to be the next Brad Pitt or Natalie Portman

Mortuary Science – because they are creeps

Philosophy – because they want to just sit, think, BS, be witty and sound smart while doing it

Psychology – because they think they can mess with people’s minds

Education – because they want to make other kids go through what they went through

Science with education – because they want to make other kids go through what they went through with hydrochloric acid

Forestry and agriculture – because mom and dad were farmers or lumberjacks

Political sciences – because they think they can become they next Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama

Economics – because they think they can learn about business with this major

Sociology – because they want to “people watch” for a job

Social work – because they want to help that hobo relative of theirs

Law -because they want to be a professional argue-person

Mathematics – because gambling becomes a lot more profitable

Urban and regional planning – because the government job deal sounds great and the thought of playing Sim City in real life is pretty awesome

Physics – because they think dungeons and dragons got boring

Chemistry – because they think making things go boom is fun

General – because they don’t know what to take

In the UK only 12% of the land area is covered in forests, compared to 37% in Norway and approximately 30% for both France and Germany. 

Clearly the main aim would be to try and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and having more trees would certainly help towards this.

Understandably it’s going to be more difficult than just planting a few trees, as the UK is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, however there are many areas in which the land is barren and soils are thin, which would be perfect for conifer trees that can live in thin, acidic soils. For example the area around the Peak District National Park in Manchester.

Manchester is one of the areas that is also very at risk of flooding in the near future, and so planting trees would help reduce this risk, as the trees would take up water through their roots, reducing surface run off, and allow the soils to be able to take in more water before becoming saturated, thus helping to stop flooding. Trees could also be used at the coast, for example around Norfolk, where coastal erosion is a huge problem. Here they would help bind the soil together with their roots and so slow down the rate of erosion. They could count as a form of soft engineering, which in the long term could result in less flood defences/sea defences being needed.

That’s a very basic outline of what having more trees could do for the country, but it is just an idea, as the UK government doesn’t seem to really be focusing on this pressing issue which we currently face. Please let me know what you think, but also don’t be too harsh as this is my first ever article on here!

Central China’s largest processing base of the sheet of modern science and technology, Hubei Forest Industrial Park Forest Industry of Haman, was formally constituted.  This is the first forest modern technology industry Park Forest, in Hubei Province Forestry Bureau promoting actively the development of modern forestry, forestry development and create a platform for innovation technology to the next strategic step.

Zhang bills Standing Committee of CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, vice governor Zhao Bin, sent a congratulatory message and the message, respectively.  Provincial CPPCC Vice-Chairman Chen Baihua, the Provincial Forestry Office, District Clerk Yuan Shan Haitao find Haman, Mayor Tan Haihua price.  State Forestry Department for Science and Technology, Dian Wei Sheng, director of Sun Jian Xing Guanbo, Secretary of City Party Xianning Huang Ping Chu, Mayor Ren crane witness this exciting moment.

Wang Haitao, Hubei Province Forestry Bureau, delivered a warm speech.  He said the province has entered a new period of forest development, conversion of forests to promote and improve the overall efficiency of forests and increasing their income and improve the ecological environment and accelerate the process of industrialization and modernization of forest sector is necessary to strengthen  construction of industrial parks.  Amman forestry science and technology industrial park is the first pilot province of modern science and Forest Park industrial technology, marking the forest industry in our province has entered a new phase of development, it is our province to take to implement the Central Working Conference on Forestry, an important  measures.

Haitao said, Hubei Forestry Bureau will actively promote the development of modern forestry, the use of forest science and technology industrial park a vehicle in the industry against industry, scattered small-scale design firms, low efficiency and large, the development of a severe shortage of land and environmental protection, the apparent  contradiction, etc. The problem, service increased, the formation of industrial clusters to promote the forest industry development approach to achieve the next eco-industrial ecology, industry, building a green building and industrial development of the structure of scientific exchanges.

The industrial park is located in Amman (Phoenix) Economic Development Zone, the area of ​​planning and construction of 10 square kilometers, an area of ​​3 square kilometers in the first stage, which will be located in industrial area of ​​the disc, the treatment area, the display area of ​​product marketing, product development  range of evidence to support the shelter and the logistics of the six major functional areas, for example.  Construction projects Henningsen giant three years working as head of a cluster, more than 30 forest industry, the introduction of 20 new processors and support deeper than 10 companies to create value annual production of 5, 0 million, profit and tax of 500 million to host the labor force from  6000 to human scale.

Ceremony, Bayer Wuhan wood, wood gazebo Wuhan, Changsha Luoniaote decorative materials and so on six companies Amman district signed an investment agreement for admission, the investment reached 500 million yuan.

Osmanthus area known as the Amman Municipality and the local bamboo and praise, the forest coverage to 53 years together, stood empty for more than 85 forest areas.  Forestry companies in the region 18, the giant workers Henningsen, Orson hardwood floors, large processing enterprises and the development of packaging collected Bao Tuan, who formed the group TOLERIE mainly companies in the forestry industry.  Region’s annual production of 160,000 cubic meters of man-made fiber board, ground 8 million cubic meters of plywood bamboo disadvantages of more than 1000 cubic meters of annual output value reached 600 million yuan, is the main central processing plate.

2.   Don’t delay — get started!

3.   Work on one part, one branch, one page, one stroke, 

one step, one  chapter, one bite, at a time.

4.   Stretch yourself to do the best you can.

5.   Pause if you must, but stay focused!

6.   DON’T QUIT half way—QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION AT ANY STAGE.

7.   KEEP ON KEEPING ON — You are almost there, even when you still feel afar off. Take a deep breath and keep going!

8.   You’re not finished until there is the stump and the wood-pile—

You have the light of ACHIEVEMENT in your eyes now — 

The Book! —The Painting—The Movie Script!

—The Mountain Peak! — The Empire! —

Yes! —The Finish Line!

Then, CELEBRATE!

AND—PLAN your next project—

and, get started again!

Photographs © Carolyn Ann Aish 2011

Scribbled trees and forestry

They’d flog off forests in a flash
For what is good compared with cash?
What weight to their enclosing mind
Have our escapes to oak and ash?

They’d free the trees from common-kind,
From stifling care and safeguard’s bind
To fuel greed and shelter tax:
Free to be cleared or be confined.

How they have longed to heft an axe 
At hopes that dare to grow, at backs
Unbowed, to smash the unbent knee
In mantraps on the forest tracks.

They stand beneath a scribbled tree,
Coloured-in green, but we can see
The old torch burns with spiteful glee.
The old torch burns with spiteful glee.

Clearcuttung

     I think that clearcuttung is by far one of the worst things that our society has done to our forest. If you have ever driven on one of our scenic highways or fished in our streams or rivers then you have undoubtedly stumbled onto an area that has been clear-cut. Trees that probably witnessed the first wagon train to Oregon stood tall and reached for the blue sky.  These were trees that were once so big around it would take two maybe even three people to reach around them their limbs reaching for each other as if they were holding hands.

      Sadly now all that is left of these mighty trees are stumps. When I see a clearcut my heart sinks to my stomach and my blood boils like a pressure cooker. The logging industry brass, some forestry officials and legislators who reside in the hip-pockets of the logging industry would have us believe that this is the best thing for the forest. They would have us think that clearcutting helps the re-growth of a new and more flourishing forest. These same officials would also like us to believe that it creates a better habitat for animals. Hypothetically less trees provides more sunlight which leads to more vegetation for food. I can only imagine that the elk are saying, “Give back my home I can find the vegetation I need on my own.” This is only one of the reasons that these officials give for clearcutting. Others include the need for lumber to build homes and other buildings. Clearcutting helps reduce forest fires and infestation of insects and disease. Clearcutting is ugly, but there is other alternatives to this madness.

     Clearcutting causes erosion. Citizens of Stafford California can attest to this. In 1997, most of Stafford was wiped out by a mudslide, a result of a nearby clearcut. It is a known fact by those of us who have taken a science class or two, that removing the trees and all the vegetation from a hillside is a recipe for disaster. Trees and other forms of vegetation help hold back the rainwater and the water that results from melting snow and ice from higher elevations. The logging industry and the bureaucrats that they have managed to brainwash tell us that clearcutting has very little if any impact on erosion. These officials that stand before us and lie to us, must think we were born yesterday 

     Herbicides are bad for the environment. Logging companies use herbicides during a clearcutting operation. Strong herbicides are used to kill off the foliage and the other forms of vegetation to make the logger’s job easier. Due to these herbicides, vegetation is slow to return. There is nothing left to hold the water back, and as we all know, water takes the path of least resistance. The dirt turns to mud, and as the water runs across the bare land, it carries dirt and harsh chemicals with it. Eventually this water runoff finds its way to a stream where it deposits these harmful herbicides. This chemical latent water creates other ecological problems as it adversely effects nearby tributaries. Trees and vegetation are needed to slow the flow of water down and act as a filter to keep these chemicals out of our streams. Once these chemicals get in our streams they can cause other ecological and environmental disasters. The fish die and the bear eats the dead fish. Now the bear gets sick and dies. So other carnivores such as coyotes, wolves, mountain lions eat the bear. Therefore, these animals also get sick and possibly die as well.. This is just one example of how the herbicides that are being used by the logging industry effects the wildlife around a stream. These herbicides are deadly as they are designed to kill the vegetation and unfortunately the animals digest them.

     Mudslides occur as a result of erosion, which deposits mud, sediments and harmful chemicals and large rocks into nearby streams. This disturbs the ecosystem of tributaries making it hard on the fish and other wildlife inhabitants. Erosion and mudslides can also change the streams natural flow by altering the riverbed, thus making it hard for fish to navigate. Therefore removing trees and foliage by these irresponsible practices of clearcutting causes irreparable damage.

     Mudslides and erosion are not the only effect that clearcuttung has on the surrounding streams. Floods are also associated with clearcuttung. The absence of trees and foliage, watersheds from rain, ice, and melting snow overwhelm streams thus causing flooding downstream causing major devastation. Devastation from mudslides occur in the loss of property and sometimes even lives.

     Clearcuttung effects the ambient temperature in the area of the clear cut. According to a study done by John Bartholow of the United States Geological Service, clearcuttung around streams can raise the water and air temperatures this can have an adverse effect on the inhabitants who are sensitive to temperature change. This happens because the trees that once shielded the stream from wind and direct sunlight; are not there to do their job anymore. There is also an increase in airborne dust particles, since the ability of foliage to capture and filter dust is greatly reduced. The increased dust can affect the amount of solar radiation reaching ground level. This will obviously affect the night time and day time temperatures

     I find it very hard to fathom ideology of the timber industry. It is their belief that clearcuttung is essential for regeneration of commercially desirable tree species. The reality of it is that selective harvesting is very effective and is a widely used technique for the regeneration of all commercial species in Oregon. This method of selective cutting is profitable as well as being a sound alternative for the environment 

     When the logging companies go into the forest and rape the land, or as they call it harvesting the timber the only thing they leave behind is old trees known as snags. Although there is a certain post clearcuttung cleanup protocol that logging companies are supposed to follow, only a few of them actually do.  Smaller animals usually inhabit the snags, which are trees that are of too poor of quality for lumber. The logging companies harvest only the best trees and leave the rest.

     The lack of vegetation also increases the amount of airborne dust particles. Airborne  dust along with the increased solar radiation creates a very dry forest floor. All you need now is a spark and you have a raging forest fire. The fine tender that was left behind makes good fuel. Fires travel across clear-cuts as easily as through dense forest.  Once again those who strongly advocate the practice of clearcuttung will tell you that this does not occur often enough to justify abolishing this practice. The spark can come from a bolt of lightning, which is attracted to large open areas. Spontaneous combustion can also be the cause of forest fires as well as carelessness of hunters and campers.  In these large open areas the winds are higher. With the right wind conditions a vacuum can occur which will draw the fire into the forest making it even harder to bring under control and extinguish.

     One would certainly think that as a result of clearcuttung, animals such as elk, deer, bear and other predatory animals would certainly be affected. This of course would depend on whom you were talking to because neither the logging companies nor the politicians think that anything is wrong with clearcuttung. Elk and other large game will avoid an area that has been clear-cut in part because there is nothing there worth eating. Since vegetation is slow to return due to the chemicals that were used before and during the logging operation. However when a forest has been burned the enriched ash that becomes a natural fertilizer enriches the soil. This enhances a rapid flourishing plant growth, which yields a good food source. Having said that, I do not conclude that I think we should set the woods on fire nor do the wildlife inhabitants.

     We have certainly covered a lot of topics concerning clearcuttung.  By now you know about some of the many disastrous effects that these logging practices have on the land, the tributaries, wildlife, and even mankind. The Cascades have probably been hit the hardest from 1970 to 2000 regarding clearcuttung. However there has been some legislation passed to help slow these harvesting practices down. There have also been some environmental laws have been passed over the years to help prevent additional problems. We still have a long way to go. Clearcuttung is really bad for the environment and is not the answer for harvesting timber. One of the biggest reasons logging companies clear-cut is because it is cheaper to go and cut down a large area than it is to have to move their equipment from one place to another to harvest the timber. These same companies advocate that if they can not clear-cut, it will affect the prices of lumber thus costing more for construction. A simple solution to this is to build homes using metal for the skeletal framing. This is already being done for most commercial applications around the world.

     The cost of most products and services are driven by supply and demand. Therefore, if more home buyers took steps to conserve lumber and started requesting that newly built used metal for the framing. This would reduce the demand yet the supply is still the same thus the price of lumber drops. Once this supply has been reduced to fit the demand it would be pointless for the logging companies to harvest as many trees as they had in the past. Following World War II, the Japanese built new homes using metal because there was an abundance of it, and lumber was scarce this method has served them well. Today metal framing costs a little more however the maintenance is lower and in the event of a  water leak the damage is strictly cosmetic and not structural. If the federal government would grant home buyers who purchase a house built with metal framing a tax credit then more homes would be built using this technique. On the average it takes four to five trees to frame a two thousand square foot home. Constructing new homes using metal framing would greatly reduce our dependency on lumber, thus reducing the need to clear-cut our forests.

  Although I covered some of the major topics and problems concerning clearcuttung; there are several that were not mentioned.  We can never do enough to protect our national forest from extinction. While I am strongly against clearcuttung, I am very supportive of salvage harvesting following a forest fire or a disaster such as the eruption of Mount Saint Helen’s as long as it done with the environment in mind. It would have been a sin to have let that much timber just sit and rot away to waste. The Northwest is a beautiful place. Hopefully we can keep it that way for future generations to see and enjoy. Andy Kerr is an activist who is largely responsible for making the spotted owl a house hold name. Andy Kerr once said, “Civil disobedience must once again become a tool in the environmentalist’s toolbox.” His opposition to logging led Time Magazine to call him a “white collar terrorist.”  I may not support all of the activist activities of Andy Kerr’s. However, I concur that our society needs more people like Andy Kerr to carry the environmental torch for all of us that are either too busy or too afraid to get involved in saving our wilderness areas and national forest that are falling under the attack of the logger’s chain saw.    

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Forests are also known as jungle. The word jangala in Sanskrit means wilderness. Some popular forests in India are Deccan, Gir, Malabar, Sunder bans, Terai.

Image via Wikipedia

A forest is an area full of wilderness. Forests cover nearly one-third of the earth’s landmass. They are home to many plants, animals and birds which depend on one another for food and shelter.

Looking after forests

The scientific study of forests is called forest ecology. Forest management is known as forestry. It involves cultivating, maintaining and developing forests.

People under forestry referred to as forests. Forests look after the wildlife in the forest. They also help in using forest resources while not harming them. A forester’s main job is to protect the forest from fires, acid rain, illegal logging and poaching.

Sacred groves

Image via Wikipedia

Forest dwellers a way to conserve are wild life around them through the sacred groves. They dedicated the grove to a local deity and believed that anyone who harmed the trees or animals in that area would suffer from the wrath of the deity. There are thousands of such groves all over the country.

Some of them are:

Shipin in Himachal Pradesh, Hiriyali, Ascot, Binsar and Gananath in Garhwal and kumaon, law Kyntangs in Meghalaya, sarnas in Bihar, Orissa, Kenkris and Shamlats in Rajasthan and kavus in Kerala.

Plantations and orchards

Image via Wikipedia

Many private companies buy forestlands from the government to grow fruits, sandalwood, rubber, eucalyptus and coconut trees. Such forests are called plantations or orchards. These prove to be a good way of conserving trees.

The government has also taken steps to conserve trees in cities and forests.

To minimize the effect of pollution, the government has earmarked green belts in many areas across town and cities. Plants are grown in the green belts and nobody allowed cutting them. 

Green belts have become a very important feature of cities and townships today. Apart from giving fresh air they also absorb harmful gases that are emitted by vehicles and industries.

*Indian has over 500 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. Twenty –eight among three are project tiger reserves meant to save tigers.

Have you considered the humble electronic book, or ebook?

Can this simple innovation radically solve the world’s forestry problems? And just what exactly is an ebook?

Well, ebooks have been around for many years: I recall reading Yanik Silver’s marketing ebook 33 Days To Online Profits 10 years ago, and the principles within this classic hold true today. But apart from the convenience of being able to access more material than the contents of the British Library from your hand held portable blackberry, what REALLY excites me about the ebook is the GREEN ecology issue, which is, as more people worldwide exchange the printed book for the online and desktop ebook, so the world’s forests will sustain! Trees will be saved. The air we breathe will be fresher, more oxygenated, more vital. This is an exciting time in world history and we are about to benefit handsomely from the side effects!

Indeed, I truly believe the ebook could single-handedly revolutionise the planet’s ecology and turn us 180 degrees from big problem to comfort zone! Vive la ebook, I say! I continue to collect as many marketing ebooks onto my desktop as I can weekly. The ebook keeps my shelves clear. The ebook allows me to easily transport any amount of written information I require anywhere through my laptop, blackberry, notebook.

The ebook is to the printed page as Caxton’s printed page was to the handwritten manuscript. Each in their own time revolutionize history, the history of mankind!