Your Green Life Minute - Sustainable Wood

Making the connection between deforestation and global warming isn't hard. Scientists estimate that the clearing of the earth's forests accounts for close to 20 percent of the carbon emissions going into our atmosphere. With much of that deforestation tied to the growing trade in illegally logged lumber, environmental experts say consumers can ensure they aren't supporting illegally logged lumber by buying sustainable wood.

Eco-labels like the one the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) uses, guarantee consumers that the wood they're buying has come from a forest that's been logged in an ecologically responsible way. That guarantee is based on a transparent tracking system that traces wood to its source and identifies how it was harvested.