It is not often that I ask for a call to action, but I have read some recent reports that have me rethinking how I live my life and what the world will look like when my son is my age. I admit that like the majority of us I could do more, and today is the day when I will put words and promises into action. Today is just another tomorrow unless I do all that I can. I ask for your help as together we can change the world.

When this country was settled, more than half it was covered in a dense, mature virgin forest.

Today, less than one-third of the country is considered a forest. However, our wooden areas are now sparse and immature due to our dependence on wood. The rub is this. We cut down a majestic 50 foot tree for timber and other uses and then plant a few dozen saplings to replace the mighty oak. There is an old Chinese proverb that says the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago and the second best time is today. If we keep up this process and pace there will come a day when it will be impossible to purchase a 20 foot length of wood as there will not be a tree large enough to harvest it from.

Now do not get me wrong, I understand that we need wood to build, and paper to write on, but we need to take a closer look at what we are doing and the impact it has on the environment.

Many of us recycle our glass, plastic and paper, but are we doing enough? Recent statistics say that we are not. In a 2007 study by the EPA, it states that while 42 percent of all paper is recycled there is more that needs to be done. Paper products currently take up 40 percent of our landfill space and newspapers alone take up 13 percent of all landfill space. Recent estimates say that each year we harvest 520 million metric tons of wood to serve our needs. This number is staggering as it is more than 1.1 trillion pounds that we consume each and every year.

We as consumers have the ultimate power to lessen our dependence and use, allowing our young and immature forests to regain their majestic beauty and benefit. We need to find alternatives. We need to recycle more. We need to live in the future, not in the here and now. Our consumption will leave our children’s children with a world we should be ashamed of.

All is not lost though. We have the means, the minds and the ability to affect change. There are renewable and recycled options right before our eyes; we just need to see the trees for the forest before they are all gone.