> Trees take a generation or two to regrow.
10 to 20 years. Obviously it depends on the species.
> They don't "grow like weeds." Someone has to plant and protect them while they grow. That's a lot of work.
Planting takes some work, for sure, but otherwise it's literally just leaving them alone. That's how sustainable logging works. But even if you don't specifically plant them trees naturally sprout and reforest. For example, when yellowstone burnt down about 40 years ago now, nobody went in to plant new trees there, they naturally grew back and it's now to the point where only a few traces of that fire remain (in the form of a few burnt stumps that you can still see).
Any farmer will tell you that it takes effort to stop trees from growing where you don't want them.
> In the meantime, there are displaced wolves roaming the neighborhoods.
It's 1 sq mile of land in a nation with 80,000 sq miles of forest. The wolves will find other places to roam.
> Plus, these trees aren't going to be replanted like in your projection. They're getting replaced with steel, concrete, asphalt, and electronics. All of which supporting tech that consumes rather than generates resources.
Fair point. I was mostly pushing back on the notion that this is some sort of irrecoverable horrible environmental problem because of the lost trees.
> Forests can be cleared like this, but it requires assessment, approval and preparation. This wrecklessness is the epitome of "move fast and break things," "ask forgiveness rather than permission," and the "never believe you're wrong" mindsets that have caused so much damage.
I'm not defending google for breaking the law and I agree they should have followed the rules. I'm mostly just pointing out that the amount of trees being felled along with the size of land being taken is minuscule in the grand scheme of things. It's a large building, for sure, but an ultimately small amount of land.
10 to 20 years. Obviously it depends on the species.
> They don't "grow like weeds." Someone has to plant and protect them while they grow. That's a lot of work.
Planting takes some work, for sure, but otherwise it's literally just leaving them alone. That's how sustainable logging works. But even if you don't specifically plant them trees naturally sprout and reforest. For example, when yellowstone burnt down about 40 years ago now, nobody went in to plant new trees there, they naturally grew back and it's now to the point where only a few traces of that fire remain (in the form of a few burnt stumps that you can still see).
Any farmer will tell you that it takes effort to stop trees from growing where you don't want them.
> In the meantime, there are displaced wolves roaming the neighborhoods.
It's 1 sq mile of land in a nation with 80,000 sq miles of forest. The wolves will find other places to roam.
> Plus, these trees aren't going to be replanted like in your projection. They're getting replaced with steel, concrete, asphalt, and electronics. All of which supporting tech that consumes rather than generates resources.
Fair point. I was mostly pushing back on the notion that this is some sort of irrecoverable horrible environmental problem because of the lost trees.
> Forests can be cleared like this, but it requires assessment, approval and preparation. This wrecklessness is the epitome of "move fast and break things," "ask forgiveness rather than permission," and the "never believe you're wrong" mindsets that have caused so much damage.
I'm not defending google for breaking the law and I agree they should have followed the rules. I'm mostly just pointing out that the amount of trees being felled along with the size of land being taken is minuscule in the grand scheme of things. It's a large building, for sure, but an ultimately small amount of land.