[quote user="RevEng"]
[quote user="CoderDude"]I agree it's wasteful, but no rainforests were harmed in the printing of the pages... they grow as many trees as they need; if they didn't need so many, they wouldn't grow so many. You might as well try to "save the corn" by not eating corn any more: they'll just grow less, and the number of corn plants on the planet will remain more or less constant.[/quote]
<rant>
I'm sorry, maybe your sarcasm was too subtle to detect, but please don't tell me you're serious. The kinds of trees that are cut down to make paper take decades to grow. Have you ever seen how long it takes to grow a thick, healthy tree from a sappling? I assure you, they do NOT plant as many trees as they use. If you'd like to know where the US gets a large portion of its paper, come to Canada. There are plenty of Wayerhauser pulp and paper mills. Better yet, head to BC and join the logging crews. Ask them if they replant the trees after they finish clear-cutting a strip. Or best of all, just fly over and see for yourself.
Rest assured, the trees we use are not replaced.
</rant>
[/quote]
You may not be missing sarcasm, but you are missing reality. The trees used to make paper do not take decades to grow. Paper is generally made from the scraps of softwood (and to a lesser extent hardwood). The softwood trees take anywhere from about 5-15 years to be viable for harvest (depending on the type of tree). Hardwood trees take much longer, often 25+ years, to become viable for harvest which is why hardwood costs much more than softwood. The softwood is turned into lumber (think 2x4s) with the scraps going to plywood, particle board, and paper. Because of it's value hardwood is more carefully harvested and produces less scrap.
Lumber companies, Wayerhauser included, own huge commercial forests in the millions of acres. They rotate these fields just like any farmer who rotates their farm land. Sections will go without use for years in some cases with the intent to produce a consistent level of varying types of lumber. Saplings are usually grown in an indoor facility to be replanted by machine when they are 'safe' to endure the outdoors.
By the way I see this all the time as I live in the NorthWest. BC is a short drive away.