Comment Re:We will ALWAYS need paper. (Score 1) 397
(almost off-topic, but not quite!)
Don't forget, amidst all those mentions of hemp vs. forest, that there are more fundamental ecological issues that cannot be solved just by establishing a plantation (of any sort).
Irrespective of whether you plant hardwoods, softwoods or hemp as your source of paper fibre, a plantation is a monoculture - one dominant species. You will have greater species richness and diversity in a "natural" forest, not only through competition between a number of tree species, but also through the provision of a range of habitat (nutrients+shelter) for other plant and animal species.
Switching to another resource for our paper needs must be considered not just on how "sexy" the alternative may sound; the world's a complex place, and our solutions must be similarly diverse and adaptive.
Don't forget, amidst all those mentions of hemp vs. forest, that there are more fundamental ecological issues that cannot be solved just by establishing a plantation (of any sort).
Irrespective of whether you plant hardwoods, softwoods or hemp as your source of paper fibre, a plantation is a monoculture - one dominant species. You will have greater species richness and diversity in a "natural" forest, not only through competition between a number of tree species, but also through the provision of a range of habitat (nutrients+shelter) for other plant and animal species.
Switching to another resource for our paper needs must be considered not just on how "sexy" the alternative may sound; the world's a complex place, and our solutions must be similarly diverse and adaptive.
