 |
| Some of the damage that's already been done. Source: Ancient Forest Alliance. |
While we know trees are important to the environment, old-growth forests like Ada'itsx/Fairy Creek are crucial to Earth’s survival. The older a tree is, the more carbon it can absorb, and the more carbon is released when it’s cut down. It is estimated that the ancient forests on Vancouver Island store up to 1300 tonnes of carbon per hectare, which would be released into the atmosphere if logging were to proceed [1]. To make matters worse, logging is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the province [2]. While forestry already contributes to carbon emissions, cutting down the ancient trees of Ada'tisx/Fairy Creek would be catastrophic for the planet in terms of carbon emissions.
 |
| The endangered western screech owl is one of the many species that call Fairy Creek home. Source: Royann Petrell /Canada's National Observer. |
Emissions would be the least of our problems, however. Old-growth forests also are better at keeping forest fires from spreading in addition to preventing flooding, two disasters that are becoming increasingly common as the climate crisis worsens [3]. At the rate that we continue to cut down trees, it is unlikely that new-growth forests will have the opportunity to become mature and replace the ancient trees we have cut down, creating a vicious cycle that cannot be fixed.
The Ada'tisx/Fairy Creek ancient forest is also home to over 400 species of plants and animals, including the western screech owl and marbled murrelets, both of which are endangered species [4]. The loss of the forest would almost certainly lead to extinction.
It is clear that removing the trees around Ada'tisx/Fairy Creek would have disastrous and irreversable consequences for the environment.
 |
| Canada's forest carbon emissions as of 2020. Source: Barry Saxifrage at VisualCarbon.org for Canada's National Observer. |
[1] Jim Pojar, "Old Growth Forests of Fairy Creek, Vancouver Island, British Columbia," Ancient Forest Alliance, Victoria, BC, 2021.
[2] Jim Pojar, "Old Growth Forests of Fairy Creek, Vancouver Island, British Columbia," Ancient Forest Alliance, Victoria, BC, 2021.
[3] L. Sparkes. (April 1, 2021). Saving Fairy Creek and Why Ancient Forests are Worth More Standing [Online]. Available: https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/story/47068/saving-fairy-creek-and-why-ancient-forests-are-worth-more-standing/#comments
[4] L. Sparkes. (April 1, 2021). Saving Fairy Creek and Why Ancient Forests are Worth More Standing [Online]. Available: https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/story/47068/saving-fairy-creek-and-why-ancient-forests-are-worth-more-standing/#comments
Comments
Post a Comment