Trees and How The Paper Industry Is Effecting Us And Them

Trees have a very large impact on the atmosphere and environment because they effect the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels on earth. The relationship between trees and the atmosphere is a close knit one, and more importantly the paper industry has a HUGE impact on the environment. Due to the scientific research clearly showing that trees have a major impact on oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption it is safe to say that trees are an extremely important part of earth’s environment. It is also safe to assume that an increase in need for materials at paper industries would have a negative effect on the amount of oxygen begin produced and carbon dioxide being absorbed along. Furthermore, air, soil, and water pollution would be impacted negatively because trees filter pollution and clean the atmosphere. These reasons and more are why the paper industry and de-forestation have a harmful affect on the earth, which in turn affects the atmosphere. 

Many scientists all across the world have studied and analyzed the relationship between trees and the atmosphere, which includes oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pollution, as well as the environmental impact that trees have on the earth. According to the TreePeople, “in one year an acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people, and in the same amount of time the same amount of trees can absorb the amount of CO2 produced when you drive your car 26,000 miles” (2010). That goes without saying that trees are responsible for cleaning the air of carbon dioxide and providing oxygen to the people on earth. Trees are a large factor in the reduction of pollution and are also responsible for cleaning the soil and filtering water. About.com: Forestry web pages stated that, trees use phytoremediation to absorb dangerous chemicals and other pollutants that enter the soil, as well as “cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing such pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Trees remove this air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining particulates” (“Top 10 Reasons Why Trees Are Valuable and Important”, 2010). There are also many other things that trees do for the environment, they fight soil erosion, combat the greenhouse effect by absorbing carbon dioxide, and help to prevent water pollution by filtration. In an article from NASA written by John Bluck, part of the Ames Research Center, further states that, “when the amount of greenery is reduced on Earth the remaining plants take in less carbon dioxide”, resulting in “more of this gas remaining in the air instead of in being trapped in wood, fiber, leaves and other foliage plants” (NASA Finds Trees and insect Outbreaks Affect Carbon Dioxide Levels”, Dec. 13, 2004). This information in relation to trees and the paper industry proves that a lack in trees has a profound effect on the carbon dioxide levels and it’s absorption from the air, which consecutively affects the oxygen output from trees as well.

De-forestation negatively affects the atmosphere in a major way because a lack of trees means an increase in air pollution, soil pollution, and water pollution, as well as a decrease in oxygen production and increase in carbon dioxide levels. Sadly, the main motive for the vast quantity of trees being cut down annually is the need for paper products and building materials. As quoted on the Books into Trees site, “according to the USDA Forest Service’s Southern Forest Resource Assessment of 2001, 20 million trees and an estimated 5 million acres of natural forest are logged annually to provide wood pulp for the writing and printing market. This translates to approximately 27,000 tons of printing and writing paper annually” (“Books into Trees”, n.d.). This kind of logging is impacting the environment and atmosphere in many ways because without trees the earth will suffer from un-checked and un-filtered pollution in the air, soil, and water. According to Books into Trees, “each year, 20 million trees, or 5 million acres of natural forest, are cut down to make paper”, and, “of the global wood harvest, 42% goes to paper production” (“Books into Trees”, n.d.). Furthermore Books into Trees also claims that, “the planet is exposed to 250,000 metric tons of toxic pollutants from paper manufactures each year”(n.d.). This would conclude that if the planet is exposed to that much pollution then a decrease in trees would have a negative impact on the atmosphere because tree are responsible for most of pollution and carbon dioxide absorption. In an article by Kris Kiler it says that, “about 30 million trees are used annually in the making of books”(“The Environmental Impact of Ebooks and Printed Books”, n.d.). Looking at that information that is 30 million trees less to produce oxygen and absorb harmful toxicants from the atmosphere and the environment. Also, the paper industry is leaving a carbon footprint on the environment due to the amount of greenhouse emissions that they are produces. By breaking down trees into other materials, such as paper, the industry is actually releasing that carbon dioxide that the tree had stored and absorbed while producing more when breaking them down in paper mills and paper factories. The upsetting end result is that after the paper is made and distributed, Kiler also states that, “37 million tons of paper is thrown away yearly” (“The Environmental Impact of Ebooks and Printed Books”, n.d.). That goes without saying that for the amount of trees that are cut down to make paper, most of that paper is simple thrown away and wasted.

Simply put, the atmosphere and environment are suffering from de-forestation and the paper industry, but when it’s all said in done those trees are thrown away and wasted after they have been used. Books into Trees tell us that, “the paper industry is the third highest emitter of industrial greenhouse gases to the air in the world, and the fifth highest emitter of industrial toxic water to water” (“Books into Trees”, n.d.). So, while trees help the environment and atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and pollutants, the paper industry is cutting trees down and releasing carbon dioxide into the air, and adding more of their own pollution in the process to the air and water. Without trees the atmosphere will suffer from high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen, and the paper industry has a major impact on this cycle because of the hand they have in cutting down vast amounts of trees.

Despite the amount of data and information that we can get from research on trees and their impact on the environment and atmosphere, the relationship to the paper industry is constantly changing and more research is being done on this subject yearly to find out just how much of an impact the paper industry has on the earth. Many scientists and environmental activists are doing everything they can to bring to light the affect that paper industries have on oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in relation to the amount of trees that are being cut down for use as paper products. Given the knowledge of trees and their oxygen output and carbon dioxide intake, along with their pollution absorption and water filtering, it is seemly obvious that cutting down trees has a major impact on the environment. There is no rush to do more scientific research or apply the research that has already being done to the field because paper industries are still putting out the same amount of paper, and predicted this to increase over the next century. Trees major impact on the environment and atmosphere with its key involvement in oxygen production and carbon dioxide and pollution absorption that goes without saying that paper industries are hurting the environment because they are cutting down vast amounts of trees and producing more pollution in the process. This shows that trees will not be able to keep up with the oxygen production needed and carbon dioxide absorption required if paper industries continue to cut down large amount of forest and trees. There is no research yet to predict the future of earth if paper industries continue at the rate they are going, but clearly we need trees to live and breathe and without them the earth will suffer in more ways than one. 

References: 
TreePeople. 2010. Top 22 Benefits of Trees. August 27, 2010, http://www.treepeople.org/top-  

          22-benefits-trees 

Books Into Trees. "(n.d.)." August 27, 2010, http://www.ecstaticrelations.com/booksintotrees/  
About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. Top Ten Reasons Why Trees are  

          Valuable and Important. 2010. August 27,2010, http://forestry.about.com/od/treephysi

          ology/tp/tree_value.htm?p=1
John Bluck. December 13, 2004. NASA Finds Trees and Insect Outbreaks Affect Carbon Dioxide  

          Levels. August 27, 2010, http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/climate_bugs_

          prt.htm
Kris Kiler. “(n.d.)”. The Environmental Impact of Ebooks and Printed Books. August 27,2010,

         http://www.typexchange.com/pages/The-Environmental-Impact-of-Ebooks-and-

         Printed-Books.html