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Beetle attack, July 5th

SIR - With regards to the mountain pine beetle outbreak in western Canada and the United States (“

Beetle attack

”, July 5th), you say that citizens have “started to worry about what carbon emissions may be doing to their beloved forest.” This begs the question, how will millions of acres of dead trees (and the fire that is likely to come after them) impact carbon emissions?

British Columbia, as well as many western American states, is sitting on a tremendous source of potential energy. Dead trees can be used to heat homes and power cars and office buildings. In most situations, healthy forests will grow back, sequester carbon, and continue providing other ecosystem services, like clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, etc.

As goes with potential energy, it will be expended somehow. Will it be in the form of a powder keg, or in the form of local renewable energy?

Trey Schillie

Golden, Colorado

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