You know about the contributions deforestation makes toward global warming, but now some scientists are asking the seemingly counter-intuitive question of whether harvesting timber can actually help decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
No doubt, the premise is appealing: Use the forests to soak up carbon dioxide from the air, then store that carbon dioxide elsewhere by harvesting the timber and turning it into home-building materials and other wood products. As new trees grow in the harvested area, the cycle begins again.
