To the Editor:
Re “Forests Won’t Save Us From Climate Change,” by David Wallace-Wells (Opinion, Sept. 9):
This article highlights a misleading perspective that oversimplifies and provokes complex issues. Forests are crucial in the battle against climate change!
Despite significant investments in carbon capture technologies, vast areas of trees still remain the most effective and scalable method to capture and store large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Blaming forests for carbon released by wildfires is akin to blaming homeowners for the 2007 real estate crisis.
Trees act as carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen while storing carbon in their tissues. They are not our enemies; we cannot survive without them. Unfortunately, they are now among the primary victims of climate change, and it is our responsibility to protect them.
There are excellent examples of this in the Boreal Forest of Canada, where Indigenous governments and organizations are leading significant conservation efforts in their traditional territories.
Instead of promoting confusion that hinders progress in the fight against climate change, let’s focus on implementing real solutions.
Jeff Wells
Vice President for Boreal Conservation
National Audubon Society
To the Editor:
“Forests Won’t Save Us From Climate Change” argues that forests worsen the climate crisis due to wildfires caused by climate change. However, logging, rather than wildfires, poses a more significant threat to carbon-sinking forests in many parts of the world, including the eastern United States. As the author acknowledges, logging releases stored carbon, which may not be recaptured for decades or centuries.
Despite this, the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies continue to target carbon-rich forests for timber projects. In North Carolina, for example, plans to increase logging in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests will endanger the oldest, healthiest, and most carbon-dense forests.
Forests can be an essential and cost-effective solution to the climate crisis. However, we must reject reckless policies that prioritize logging over the preservation of mature and old-growth forests and the carbon they store.
Sam Evans
Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Leader, National Forests and Parks Program
To the Editor:
The destructive effects of intensive industrial logging and plantation forestry have resulted in many forests emitting more carbon than they absorb. However, the writer of “Forests Won’t Save Us from Climate Change” fails to recognize a positive development: an increasing number of landowners are opting for working forest conservation easements. These agreements allow landowners to permanently conserve their carbon-rich forests while practicing sustainable management and retaining private ownership.
Working forest conservation easements incentivize landowners to become allies in the fight against climate change. By enabling the production of various forest products while prioritizing climate-resilient practices, these agreements ensure that lands remain thriving, biodiverse forests indefinitely.
Unlike tree planting initiatives that require extensive management and time to transform into carbon-absorbing forests, working forests can immediately contribute to significant carbon sequestration and climate resilience.
Considering that almost 60% of U.S. forests are privately owned, these easements represent a proven tool to maintain forests as crucial allies in the battle against climate change.
Laurie Wayburn
Co-Founder and President, Pacific Forest Trust
Challenging Antisemitism
To the Editor:
In “Want to Fight Antisemitism? Embrace Jewish Traditions,” Deborah E. Lipstadt suggests that the most effective way to combat antisemitism is by committing to collective liberation for all individuals. It is crucial to explore the interconnected histories of communities struggling for justice and recognize that our futures are intertwined.
Antisemitism cannot be understood in isolation, and we must actively resist state-sanctioned violence and other forms of injustice. Challenging false allegations of antisemitism against individuals advocating for justice and freedom for Palestinians is an essential part of this commitment. We must challenge antisemitism, anti-Black racism, anti-Palestinian racism, transphobia, Islamophobia, and all forms of injustice collectively.
Donna Nevel
Co-Director, PARCEO
Republicans and the Migrants
To the Editor:
“Migrant Crisis Divides North, Lifting G.O.P.” rightly acknowledges that Republicans have successfully made immigration an emotionally charged issue even in blue states. By transporting undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers to cities like Washington, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, some Republican governors have brought attention to the national scope of this problem.
While tens of thousands of migrants have made their way around the country independently, the initial political stunt, as distasteful as it was, seems to have achieved its goal. State and local governments are overwhelmed and calling for federal assistance.
However, it must be noted that Republicans have shown no interest in solving this problem. Over the past two decades, they have consistently prioritized using the issue as a political weapon against Democrats rather than finding a solution. They will come up with countless excuses to avoid addressing the crisis effectively, but their bottom line is clear: they will obstruct any resolution, every time.
Peter Whitehouse
Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Shoes-Off Homes
To the Editor:
Regarding “Here to Help: Vanessa Friedman Answers Your Style Questions” (Sept. 18) on visits to homes where shoes are to be removed:
A simple solution for hosts to address guest discomfort with removing their shoes is as follows: At Breezy Hill Inn, we request our guests to take off their shoes or boots, especially in bad weather, and offer them slippers stored in baskets near the front door.
Occasionally, guests ask if they may go shoeless instead. In any case, the slipper option is always appreciated.
Michelle Sidrane
Owner, Breezy Hill Inn
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