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The Weird, Wooden Future of Skyscrapers

"..Mass timber’s biggest advantage may be environmental. Buildings are by some estimates responsible for a third of global greenhouse-gas emissions. The manufacture of concrete and steel accounts for an estimated 10 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions. Trees, however, are “carbon sinks”—they absorb and hold carbon until they decompose or are burned.
According to a study in the Journal of Sustainable Forestry, substituting wood for other materials used in buildings and bridges could prevent 14 to 31 percent of global carbon emissions." Read more...
According to a study in the Journal of Sustainable Forestry, substituting wood for other materials used in buildings and bridges could prevent 14 to 31 percent of global carbon emissions." Read more...
280-Million-Year-Old Forest in Antarctica
The southern polar forests were dominated by one type of tree, those in the Glossopteris genus. These were behemoths that grew from 65 to 131 feet (20 to 40 meters) tall, with broad, flat leaves longer than a person's forearm, Gulbranson said. Before the Permian extinction, Glossopteris dominated the landscape below the 35th parallel south to the South Pole. Read more...
world’s biggest wooden clock in Nannup

Plans are under way in Nannup to build a tower to house the world’s biggest wooden clock in a bid to provide a “tremendous” boost to tourism in the region that could rival Walpole’s Tree Top Walk.
Nannup Shire Council approved plans on July 27 for a Nannup Clock Tower on the corner of Warren Road and Forrest Street to house the clock, built by craftsman Kevin Bird, which will include a purpose-built visitor centre and retail shop. Nannup couple and owners of Nannup Lavender Farm Rob Marshall and Heather Walford bought the commercial property in 2016. Read more...
Nannup Shire Council approved plans on July 27 for a Nannup Clock Tower on the corner of Warren Road and Forrest Street to house the clock, built by craftsman Kevin Bird, which will include a purpose-built visitor centre and retail shop. Nannup couple and owners of Nannup Lavender Farm Rob Marshall and Heather Walford bought the commercial property in 2016. Read more...
Boosting wood stocks on Farmland
Professor Rod Keenan said any new schemes must be built on long-term partnerships between landowners and forestry companies.
There were lessons to be learned from Managed Investment Schemes of the 2000s — driven by tax benefits and capital gains credits — which were “not desirable, there was lot of social push-back”, Prof Keenan said.
“The future lies in integrating industries (farming and forestry). There is a large area of farmland in Australia where different types of planted forest could be integrated with existing agriculture.” Read more...
There were lessons to be learned from Managed Investment Schemes of the 2000s — driven by tax benefits and capital gains credits — which were “not desirable, there was lot of social push-back”, Prof Keenan said.
“The future lies in integrating industries (farming and forestry). There is a large area of farmland in Australia where different types of planted forest could be integrated with existing agriculture.” Read more...
Irish farmers almost view forestry as failure
A stigma among farmers that planting their land with forestry is a failure that must be addressed, according to Minister for State with responsibility for forestry Andrew Doyle. His comments come as the states national afforestation programme lags significantly behind in its target to plant 10,000ha of forestry per year.
..“I am convinced that forestry remains an extremely attractive option for landowners and can serve as a complementary income stream for farmers.
“This is because the Department funds 100pc of the cost of establishing the new forest and guarantees an annual premium of up to €635/ha payable each year for 15 years, tax free. Forestry is also compatible with other agriculture schemes and farmers can continue to receive their basic payment on land which is also planted,” he said. Read more...
..“I am convinced that forestry remains an extremely attractive option for landowners and can serve as a complementary income stream for farmers.
“This is because the Department funds 100pc of the cost of establishing the new forest and guarantees an annual premium of up to €635/ha payable each year for 15 years, tax free. Forestry is also compatible with other agriculture schemes and farmers can continue to receive their basic payment on land which is also planted,” he said. Read more...