Tesla's new German factory [Archive]

pinkytoe

1-22-20, 12:33pm

It hasn't been in the news much here, but Tesla has gotten approval to clear cut a 740 acre forest near Berlin for a new Tesla factory. Seems like an environmental disconnect.

bae

1-22-20, 12:45pm

Here's a photo I just found in a news story on the matter. I've reviewed several hundred timber management plans over the past 20 years for the County. To my eye, this does not look like a first growth forest....

It looks like a harvest-stage commercial planting. The sort of forest that around here the landowner will, to comply with the terms of their timber management plan that gave them their tax breaks, bring to market.

https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/ixcx16C9gS9U/v0/1800x-1.jpg

catherine

1-22-20, 5:32pm

How can you tell it's old growth or harvest-stage commercial? I know the Germans love their trees.

Yppej

1-22-20, 6:41pm

How can you tell it's old growth or harvest-stage commercial? I know the Germans love their trees.

The level of uniformity.

iris lilies

1-22-20, 6:51pm

Here's a photo I just found in a news story on the matter. I've reviewed several hundred timber management plans over the past 20 years for the County. To my eye, this does not look like a first growth forest....

It looks like a harvest-stage commercial planting. The sort of forest that around here the landowner will, to comply with the terms of their timber management plan that gave them their tax breaks, bring to market.

https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/ixcx16C9gS9U/v0/1800x-1.jpg

Mere details, doubt they matter to tree huggers. Trees as commodities is not a concept that computes with that segment of the population.

catherine

1-22-20, 7:17pm

Mere details, doubt they matter to tree huggers. Trees as commodities is not a concept that computes with that segment of the population.

I know that trees are commodities, but it's an interesting topic, because trees are not qualitatively all the same. I just finished reading The Hidden Life of Trees, and the author made a distinction between the value of old-growth vs commercially grown trees. It was fascinating.

It also reminds me when the big thing in New Jersey news was that they were going to clear cut a large swath of woodland to install enough solar panels to power Great Adventure Theme Park in Freehold. There were environmentals for and environmentalists against. It was kind of a Sophie's choice thing.

IL, I know you're not a tree-hugger, and you know I am. I think the OP raises a legitimate point, and if they are, in fact, harvest-stage commercial plantings as bae said, that's cool. I would just hate to sacrifice old-growth.

At the same time, Tesla is a great company--forward-looking in terms of its clean energy.

iris lilies

1-22-20, 8:04pm

Are there actually any old growth forests of any size left in the Bavarian region? Our house has old growth fir as structural wood. You know I respect the trees when they give up their lives for old houses.

Rogar

1-22-20, 10:16pm

I don't know enough of the details to say for sure, but one of the articles I read called them "production trees" which probably implies they will be cut down at some time one way or another. But it's always too bad to loss some trees regardless. Perhaps Germany would require some sort of environmental impact study that would require like kind mitigation.

razz

1-22-20, 10:28pm

I am reading the Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben that Catherine mentioned. Much of his research has been confirmed by other foresters including Suzanne Simard of the University of British Columbia. https://www.npr.org/2017/01/13/509350471/how-do-trees-collaborate. Old growth has so much that going on that few know about.

Woodlands is so much more that simply supplying wood for building houses.
To the OP, I would not be surprised if many of the trees are at the stage or close to harvesting so ready for clear cutting.