Wood Industry: Why Government Investment Is Required
Roy Thompson's essay "Timber" seems full of foresight -- although it is clearly written during a much earlier period of American environmental history. It is hard to imagine someone today speaking of America's "inexhaustible virgin forests" (156). Thompson highlights the problem of industry farming of a resource that is very difficult to replace. Furthermore, America, because of the myth of the American wilderness, is treating its woodlands as if they were infinitely renewable and has not practiced careful tree farming practices. Forestry research has long been extant in Europe because of the much narrower territorial sprawl of Continental nations. But if America does not act soon, improvements in forestry conservation might come too late. Even our plastics and other substitute goods are derived from wood. Thompson stresses that a strong American forestry industry is critical to the nation's national defense, to providing adequate and affordable products (particularly shelters) for all Americans, and also to ensure the future health of the industry. To preserve the forests, however, government intervention and regulation are necessary. Industry does not have the vested interest or the financial resources to research scientific tree farming, because the profits from such research will be a long time in coming.
Thompson's analysis makes economic as well as environmental sense. In the case of some products, like natural resources, private enterprise cannot be expected to take a long-term view and make long-term investments in researching scientific conservation, because commercial industry must show a short-term a profit for the company's owners. The profits from forestry improvement may only be realized after several generations. However, it is still critical that such improvements occur, thus this is an ideal example of when government intervention is required to help the environment and to preserve the future of an industry.
Works Cited
Thompson, Roy a.H "Timber." From Visions of Technology. pp.156-159
