Comments on: Forests as Feedstocks: The Finnish Approach

By: Hendrik Morkel

Hendrik Morkel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:39:50 +0000

Yes, we do import a certain percentage of our wood for pulp and paper production from Russia. However, our paper companies do take care that only PEFC and FSC certified wood is used, as a large part of paper and pulp are used for certified paper products. Check UPM and StoraEnso websites for more info.

By: Hendrik Morkel

Hendrik Morkel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:39:50 +0000

By: Jen Boynton

Jen Boynton — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:41:27 +0000

Oh roger, you're just jealous. What's with the hating? I don't claim to be an expert on forest management- and as you can see from my Metsuo post, I wasn't influenced by my hosts- though they were very friendly!

I just gained a broader understanding of the Finnish relationship to natural space during the forest visit, and I wanted to make sure that came through in addition to some of my other criticisms. Thanks for reading!

By: roger notloy

roger notloy — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:31:20 +0000

Nick,

To your point about finding data.

Data sites: : http://www.bugwood.org/intensive/forests_and_ti...

http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/i0350e/i0350e00.HTM

By: roger notloy

roger notloy — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:31:59 +0000

Dee

Actually Finland supplies 6.2% of the world's paper pulp supply, not 25%, and that is decreasing YoY as Finnish-based paper companies invest in Latin American pulp mills using the fast growing eucalyptus fiber.

By: dee

dee — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:39:50 +0000

Finland is one of the largest pulp/paper/wood product exporters in the world, so, IMO, it is bit naive to think that each and every year one small country's forests could supply 1/4 of the world's need for pulp, etc.And as there's often news about Finnish forest owners — typically Joe Averages in non-forest-related-real-life-jobs who own small bits of forest — being patient enough to wait, wait and wait for couple of more years in order to see if the wood price would go up. Thus — pulp mills need to get the supply.

Then again, I'd imagine Finnish enivornmental organizations would raise their voices if the Russian wood Metso, etc buy wouldn't use the same standards the Finnish wood supply uses..

By: Roger Notloy

Roger Notloy — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:04:48 +0000

Oh give me a break. You obviously were too influenced by your hosts' to ask the difficult questions. Finland imports between 16% - 25% of their roundwood needs from Russia http://www.metla.fi/bulletin/2008/2008-01/secto..., which it seems does not do such a great job of managing their forests.

Sort of like complementing the USA for its forest management while it imports Canadian wood.

By: lauriesanford

lauriesanford — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:06:20 +0000

Very compelling post. Gave a great 'feel” for the experience and the place.

By: Nick Aster

Nick Aster — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:15:07 +0000

Nice Post. I'm pretty sure the US cut down WAY more than 30% of our original forest, though a great deal has grown back… I can't find links. Anyway, the 'tree sitting' phenomenon (Berkeley notwithstanding) is usually about the teeny tiny bits of very old virgin forest remaining, so I think it's pretty justified. You won't find too many tree sitters in the vast forests of Minnesota which are regularly harvested, perhaps not coincidentally, by a lot of people of Finnish and Swedish origin.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:26:07 +0000

I sure hope to see forests again sometime in the future. Nice post. It gives the reader a good feel of that fresh air, sometimes, as compared to urban city air, fermenting dung seems to be smell much better.