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environmental damage is still the subject of much
debate, but most agree that there
is
a relationship,
and that the atmosphere must be cleaned up if the
forests are to survive.
Some experts refuse to place all the blame on
industry- they feel that bacteria or other natural
causes are afflicting the forests.
Worst affected are the conifers, the stately fir and
spruce trees that make up the bulk of forests of
southern Germany.
Instcad of lush, dark green foliage that gave the
Schwarzwald (Biack Forest) its name, many trees
now have only sickly yellowy-brown needles. Unlike
deciduous trees that replace their foliage annually,
the needles of conifers must Jast for severa! years.
Without adequate foliage-particularly at the top, or
crown-a tree is condemned to death.
But conifers are not the only trees to suffer. Half
thc beech and 43 percent of the oaks that provide
variety and balance in the forest are sick. Elm trees
that should live for 130 years are giving up in the
prime of life, and dying at 60.
A Continent-wide Disaster
Germany is not alone among the countries in Europe
facing
Waldsterben.
The French, once critica! of
their German neighbor for panicking over this
situation, have discovered that their forests, too, are
in trouble. Many trees in the lush Rhóne Valley are
al ready beyond hope. Beautiful Switzerland,
considered to be one of the most pollution-free
countries, is now feeling the effects of
Waldsterben
in its environment. Eighty-eight percent of pollution
blows in from outside Switzerland. The death of the
Resin protrusion on
tbe trunk of tbe
crown region of a
fallen spruce.
forest respects no national frontiers.
Particularly vulnerable are the Scandinavian
countries whose flat topography offers little
resistance to wind-borne pollution. No one knows for
certain the state of the damage in Eastern Europe,
where pollution control, if it exists at all, is
haphazard. East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia
and Hungary still rely on low-grade,
high-sulfur-content coal, particularly since the Soviet
Union cut back on its oil expor ts. Although exact
figures are not available, it is known that the forests
of East Germany may be in even worse shape than
their Western neighbors. Poland is seriously affected,
and sorne Czechoslovakians are describing their
16
country as an ecological disaster area.
Soviet R ussia has not escaped, although with its
vast territory it is more able to absorb the
punishment. Christmas is not an official holiday in
Russia, but many Soviet citizens celebrate the new
year with a traditional Cbristmas tree. The
government has now suggested the people use
branches and bundles of twigs rather than cut down
small trees.
But in no country is the problem more acutely
agonized over than here. in West Germany. One
survey showed that people worried more over the
death of the trees than they did the establishing of
Pershing missiles on their territory.
A Land Without Trees
The loss of German forests would be a tremendous
emotional blow to the German people. There would,
however, be far graver consequences.
The forest ry and timber industries provide
hundreds of thousands of jobs. Tourism, another
major industry, would seriously decline. Wbo would
want to visit a Black Forest nearly devoid of trees?
The forests are the world's lungs, filtering out
pollutants and manufacturing fresh oxygen that keeps
the atmosphere breathable. The air in a healthy
forest is 90 percent fresher than a typical industrial
environment. Without trees, the soil would erode,
and rain and snow would not be contained–
subjecting lowland arcas to avalanches or flooding.
More than half of the 200 species of native German
birds breed and feed in the forests, and without the
trees they too are doomed. It is the same for other
forms of wildlife. Without its trees, West Germany
will indeed be asad and barren country.
Trees are a tough and resilient part of God's
creation, and they put up a brave struggle for
survival. A tree will tolerate many years of abuse,
and will try to compensate for an unhealthful
situation. But when it dies, it dies quickly, rather like
an outwardly healthy human who suddenly succumbs
to a heart attack. By the time it is obvious a tree is
sick, it is usually too late. There have been some
successful small-scale attempts to revive the forests,
but most of the stricken areas are beyond help.
Reforestation isn't always the answer. The new
trees struggle for a few years, but eventually they
lose their vitality in the poisoned air and soil. If this
great national treasure is to be saved, the
cause
of
the problem must be stopped, not only the effect.
Was the Catastrophe Foreseen?
Great German poets, philosophers and composers
have always drawn inspiration from the forests.
Nietzsche, von Goethe and van Beethoven found
peace there. Martín Luther once said, "Even if the
end of the world were coming,
I
would stop and
plan t an apple tree."
The end of this age as we know it
is
coming.
In the prophecies of the Bible the immediate
future of the European continent is spelled out with
devastating precision. In
(Continued on page 24)
The
PLAIN TRUTH