http://www.fastcoexist.com/3045173/why-apple-bought-36000-acres-of-forest
Why Apple Bought 36,000 Acres Of Forest
The simple answer: Apple uses a lot of paper, and it feels bad.
As Apple invests in tech startups and new data centers, now
it's
also spending money on trees. The tech giant just helped buy
36,000 acres of forest in Maine and North Carolina through
a partnership with the nonprofit The Conservation Fund.
it's
also spending money on trees. The tech giant just helped buy
36,000 acres of forest in Maine and North Carolina through
a partnership with the nonprofit The Conservation Fund.
Why invest in trees? The company uses a vast amount of
paper
in packaging, and wanted to find a long-term sustainable
source for it—and a way to help protect those resources.
Though Apple wouldn't disclose the exact amount of paper
they use, Lisa Jackson, the company's VP of environmental
initiatives, writes that the amount the two forests can
produce
is only equal to half of the virgin fiber used to package the
iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, and Apple TV last year.
paper
in packaging, and wanted to find a long-term sustainable
source for it—and a way to help protect those resources.
Though Apple wouldn't disclose the exact amount of paper
they use, Lisa Jackson, the company's VP of environmental
initiatives, writes that the amount the two forests can
produce
is only equal to half of the virgin fiber used to package the
iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, and Apple TV last year.
The company didn't invest in the forest just to harvest trees
for their own needs. Instead, in a unique model, Apple is
helping to save large tracts of forest that are at risk of being
parceled up and sold to developers.
for their own needs. Instead, in a unique model, Apple is
helping to save large tracts of forest that are at risk of being
parceled up and sold to developers.
Around 15 years ago, as the market for paper pulp went
global, large U.S. forest companies started to sell vast
swaths
of land. "All told, roughly 90 million acres of land sold
in a
very short time," says Lawrence Selzer, CEO and
president
at The Conservation Fund. "It was the largest sale of
private
lands in the history of the United States."
global, large U.S. forest companies started to sell vast
swaths
of land. "All told, roughly 90 million acres of land sold
in a
very short time," says Lawrence Selzer, CEO and
president
at The Conservation Fund. "It was the largest sale of
private
lands in the history of the United States."
Some of that land went directly to developers, but the
majority was sold to short-term investors who are now
starting to sell it off. "Every time these lands are sold,
they're subdivided," says Selzer. "That fragmentation
accelerates the loss of ecological value, forest economic
value, and dramatically accelerates the conversion to
non-forest uses like development. So this situation
represents the greatest land conservation challenge in
the U.S. today."
majority was sold to short-term investors who are now
starting to sell it off. "Every time these lands are sold,
they're subdivided," says Selzer. "That fragmentation
accelerates the loss of ecological value, forest economic
value, and dramatically accelerates the conversion to
non-forest uses like development. So this situation
represents the greatest land conservation challenge in
the U.S. today."
Apple put up money for The Conservation Fund to buy
two massive chunks of working forest. Now, the nonprofit
will set up conservation easements in place to ensure that
the land will be managed sustainably in perpetuity, with
local government or a nonprofit as a watchdog, and never
subdivided. Later, the nonprofit will resell the land—
knowing that it's protected forever—and then use the profits
to invest in a new large forest to repeat the process.
two massive chunks of working forest. Now, the nonprofit
will set up conservation easements in place to ensure that
the land will be managed sustainably in perpetuity, with
local government or a nonprofit as a watchdog, and never
subdivided. Later, the nonprofit will resell the land—
knowing that it's protected forever—and then use the profits
to invest in a new large forest to repeat the process.
"What Apple's doing is essentially investing in the forest to
start this whole chain," says Selzer.
start this whole chain," says Selzer.
The forests will be managed by local companies that sell to a
variety of customers, so Apple alone won't benefit. It's part
of
the company's bigger goals to help restore the environment,
as Jackson told BuzzFeed:
If we take the approach of just buying sustainably
sourced paper, we’re not making the world a better
place
—we’re zeroing out. Apple
has been really clear that we want to leave the world
better than we found it; that’s one of our values.
The Conservation Fund hopes that other corporations will
be inspired to follow Apple's lead.
be inspired to follow Apple's lead.
"The forests we're losing in this country are the last, greatest
forests that we have, and once they're lost, you can't put them
back together," says Selzer. "So we have a window of
opportunity and we hope others will step up.
forests that we have, and once they're lost, you can't put them
back together," says Selzer. "So we have a window of
opportunity and we hope others will step up.
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