Wood

A man stand next to a machine with large slabs of wood.

Building high-rises, hotels and stadiums out of wood — for climate’s sake

The Big Fix

Wood used to rule much of the building world, and now, it’s poised for a comeback, as engineered wooden buildings start to become an eco-friendly alternative to concrete and steel.

Fossilized tree rings

The history of the world is written in tree rings

Climate Change
A German scientist stands in front of shelves of wood samples

How German ‘wood detectives’ protect endangered species

Environment

Clean cookstoves protect women and the environment

Conflict & Justice
The World

Vanishing Tonewoods

The World

Southern Chip Mill Boom

Efforts to protect the spotted owl and preserve old growth forests have sharply reduced timber cutting on public lands in the Pacific Northwest. But the world-wide demand for paper, particle board and other products made from wood chips is still soaring. So, to help meet this demand, the wood chipping business has shifted to the […]

Java Trees

Indonesia planted millions of trees to absorb carbon produced by the Bali climate conference, but that doesn’t make up for the country’s shaky record on preserving its forests.

The World

Sustainable Timber

Home Depot began a trend in the lumber industry when it announced last summer that it would begin selling wood only from certified sustainable timberland. But, as Jeff Hoffman reports, the big timber companies have been slow to change their ways.

The World

Java trees

Environment

Indonesia planted millions of trees to absorb the greenhouse gases caused by the December 2007 Bali climate conference, but the nation’s record on tree conservation has been dismal. Java used to be home to one of the world’s oldest teak forests, but illegal logging, fires, and government mis-management have destroyed the trees.