[gelatocar]

While that is obviously rorting the system, isn't it kind of ideal from a carbon capture perspective? One of the big problems with planting forests for carbon capture is that they often burn down, and even when they don't, the natural cycle of the forest trees dying or falling and breaking down releases the captured carbon too. Harvesting the trees and using them as a building material seems like a better way to ensure that the captured carbon stays stored for longer. As long as they aren't used for firewood...

[nathancahill]

Carbon capture is a tiny piece of the environmental benefit a virgin tropical forest provides. Additionally, while the trunks of the planted pines are used for lumber, the rest of the tree is used for firewood.