Reviews for The Final Forest: The Battle for the Last Great Trees of the Pacific Northwest

The average rating for The Final Forest: The Battle for the Last Great Trees of the Pacific Northwest based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-11-02 00:00:00 Mark Chown I�ve been trying to write these notes for months now. This book was overwhelming. Kind of a history of both logging in the Pacific NW forests and the fight to preserve them, listening to the different and conflicting perspectives of the loggers, the scientists, the activists, the corporations and so on. Beside the pragmatism of the research (pretty thorough and accessible), what also stood out to me was the untold: the point of view of the owls, the trees, the earth. I don�t mean to romanticize it. But in comparison, the various point of views of the interviewees reinforced the idea that mankind will continue to exploit everything that it can possibly exploit not necessarily out of evil, but because we don�t have the ability to come together and collectively think at issues that span beyond our own existence. At least I don�t see a way with the current social and economic structures. We are small, and think in small terms, but unfortunately we are also very powerful. It was cool to learn about how many environmental battles began and developed. It was not clear to me which side to pick. I tend to side with the environmentalists, but surprisingly I felt for the loggers too and it changed my way of looking at them. Their connection to the forest (its beauty, its regenerative powers) is stronger than what the average environmentalist will ever feel. Well, sometimes at least. It�s on a very different level. The destruction of forests is no different than any other kind of environmental destruction. While the loggers are the arms doing the work, it�s not them to blame, it�s the power of a system that forces them to do what they do in order to survive. Before the advent of mechanization, the extent of cutting that Europeans did was not much more than what natives did: it was sustainable. And in front of all those gigantic trees the idea of an infinite supply of wood must have felt real to them. Then, when clear-cutting processes took over, to my eyes this idea was no longer an excuse, so to speak. Yet we largely continue(d) to ignore the impact of these destructive practices. We are small. The western world is so disconnected to the �reality� of how things exist and where they come from. Literally the whole world of tech is about creating further abstractions and commodities. I truly think we are doomed.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-06-25 00:00:00 Cary Grant Phenomenal. One of the first times I have really taken time to listen to diverse perspectives in the conservation/preservation debate and suddenly found myself on the side of the loggers in Forks,WA. It made me feel more connected to the diverse perspectives people come from in relating to the natural world. I loved the truth spoken when a logger said that when tourists look into the ugliness of a clearcut and are shocked they are only looking into the desires of their own heart. Such a great reminder that real environmentalism is about changing the way we consume at home. Also included a great history of the pacific northwest and reminded us that the largest clearcut in washington is covered in asphalt and named Seattle.