As many grapple with the harsh realities of owning a home in today's economy, developers may look for ways to make homeownership more accessible. However, one societal issue should not be traded for another. In this case, it is homeownership for deforestation.
A Redditor with an admiration for the natural world posted on a subreddit to express their disappointment in seeing a housing development sign mounted in front of a protected area that had been cleared of its forest.
The post includes a photo of the sign in front of the cleared forested area donning a "Be Green Be Tree" slogan.
"Greenwashing at its finest," the original poster captioned their post.
Homeownership has become a topic of concern for many in the United States. In highly populated states such as California — which has a population of about 40 million residents — the issue remains a lasting challenge. According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, overall homeownership rates are at their lowest since the 1940s, with the state holding 22% of the nation's population without housing.
With a growing population, the need for housing has pushed developers to build homes in forested areas. As shared by The New York Times, building in forested areas increases wildfire risk and intensifies wildfires that emerge.
There's fascinating research showing that if they are left alone, these areas can recover more quickly than we thought. A study found that untouched forests could achieve 90% of their original carbon, nitrogen, and soil density levels in one to nine years. This means that natural regeneration is a highly efficient and cost-effective way to restore forests.
However, sometimes intervention is necessary, such as when there are no seeds or animals to help the regeneration.
Becoming aware of the incredible value natural forests provide for biodiversity and human health can inspire many communities to advocate for long-term conservation.
The irony of the sign has generated much engagement on the post.
"It's sickening that most people don't actually seem to see through [it]," commented one user.
"The most blatantly ironic tragedy I've seen in a while," wrote another user.
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