For those north of the equator, Tasmania is an island state off the
southern tip of the Australian mainland.
There was a program on TV recently here about the idiot (greedy ??)
politicians who have agreed to let the loggers fell what's left of
these old trees.
The place is called the "Valley of the Giants", and instead of it
being left as pristine wilderness and a place where people can come
from all over the world and marvel at these magnificent, beautiful
trees, permission has been apparently granted to let loggers chop
them down.
But wait for it - the most depressing news is that the wood isn't
even going to be turned into exquisite furniture, or crafts or even
polished floors that might at least last for generations and be
appreciated by people - it is to be woodchipped and shipped to Japan
for pulp to make paper. But of course the loggers argue that they
will replant the area, and revegetate it so that it is a
"sustainable" operation. How can chopping down 10,000 year old trees
be sustainable ?
I really don't know when the human race is going to wake up to
itself. It nearly makes me cry.......
When I was in the US a couple of years ago, we visited (of course)
magical places like Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Yosemite etc. Just to
be able to touch the giant sequoia's in Mariposa Grove was something
I will never ever forget, and I would like to think that my
grandchildren might be able to share the same experience.
peter
>This is one of those 4000 year old trees in the Bristlecone Forest in the
White Mountains east of Bishop Calif. Nearby is the oldest living thing in
the world. 4600 years or something. Unless you count creosote bushes which
are estimated at 10000+ but they grow in rings outward so the original trunk
is no longer existent. This was taken with my P&Shoot, an OM77 with Sigma
28-70 at about f8. I have no idea what building I shot.
Warren
Nope - there's a Huon Pine in Tasmania calculated at 12,000+ years. Then,
we used to have taller trees than Sequoias too but some idiot cut them down.
Such is nature and our response to it. :-(
Andrew
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