The War on Estonian Forests (2022)
Deforestation in Estonia threatens biodiversity and traditional practices. Logging near villages like Lehetu impacts carbon capture and wildlife. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect Estonia's unique natural heritage.
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The article discusses the concerning issue of deforestation in Estonia, a country known for its deep connection to nature and vast forested areas. Despite the Estonians' spiritual bond with the land and their regular visits to forests for activities like mushroom and berry picking, logging activities have been rapidly destroying these natural habitats. The disappearance of forests near villages like Lehetu has led to the loss of biodiversity and traditional practices like foraging. The article highlights the unique position of Estonia in Europe with its high forest coverage compared to other countries and raises concerns about the environmental impact of deforestation on carbon capture and wildlife. It draws parallels with past environmental movements in countries like Australia, emphasizing the importance of peaceful activism and public awareness in protecting natural landscapes. The article concludes by pointing out the need for conservation efforts in Estonia to preserve its unique natural heritage for future generations.
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13 commentsIt struck me that there must be some very weird economic situation for it to be profitable to ship poor quality firewood 8000 miles or so for sale.
This was pretty common everywhere in 2020. I remember hiking in the cascade mountains of Washington State on a sunny, breezy summer day and the few other hikers I came across on the trail avoided me by 20+ft.
If the wood were burned locally (and without the additional expenditure of pellet-making), I could see a sustainability argument in there and support it. The place I live in is heated by firewood. If it makes it any better, it's delivered from less than 10km away, by a farmer that manages his forest with respect. It's not the best, but considering it's worked for generations that way, it seems renewable enough. And it's a mountainous region, not really usable for anything else agriculturally.
But considering the majority of Estonian exports is just for heating two extremely wealthy european countries with a industrially processed wood product, I just see affirmation of my prejudice that the Eurozone and EU mostly exist as a tool for the richer global west to exploit poorer eastern countries that get added to the union when the existing ones are squeezed dry of their resources.
Yet we are disgusted when forests are cut down and then replanted.
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