Tmyers

UN Says Forests in Northern Hemisphere Steadily Growing

Despite concerns about worldwide deforestation, the United Nations announced today that forest area in the Northern Hemisphere expanded steadily during the past two decades. They noted "Forested areas in Europe, North America, the Caucasus and Central Asia have been increasing steadily, growing by 25 million hectares over the past two decades."

For the emblematic example of the ugly tone of discussion about environmental policy in Olympia this year, one need look no further than this March 8 tweet from the Washington Toxics Coalition.

If someone told you it only costs $25 in taxes every five years to drive on Washington's roads and highways, what would you say? After all, that's how much it costs to renew your driver's license.

That is the logic being used by the environmental community to justify a big increase in permit costs for forestry companies.

Environmental activists are pushing for higher fees on forestry companies, sending an e-mail to supporters this week claiming:

The award for the most science-free editorial of the year goes to Duff Badgley, for his diatribe in the Seattle Times earlier this week, attacking Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark's support of biomass as a renewable source of energy.

Here is a sample of the rhetorical flourish that is substituted liberally in the place of science and data:

One of the most common phrases in environmental policy is "the science says..." Scientific knowledge is held in high regard as a justification for public policy, so claiming the science is on your side is a powerful argument. When science enters the political arena, however, it gets distorted by the political perspective of that arena.

This year, the environmental community is making protection of the environmental budget one of its top "priorities." The lobbyist for the Washington Environmental Council told the Associated Press, "Many of these programs are close to being decimated."

Unfortunately, they haven't always been so careful about setting priorities, supporting budget expenditures in the past that were more about politics than environmental benefit.

This year, the environmental community is making protection of the environmental budget one of its top "priorities." The lobbyist for the Washington Environmental Council told the Associated Press, "Many of these programs are close to being decimated."

Unfortunately, they haven't always been so careful about setting priorities, supporting budget expenditures in the past that were more about politics than environmental benefit.