Timber: Ecological & Social Footprint
Design & Technology: AQA GCSE, topic 3.3.1
Ecological and Social Footprint
Ecological issues in the design and manufacture of products.
Ecological issues
- Ecological issues in the manufacture and use of timber exist widely and due to the amount of timber that is used it results in a large amount of waste and processing.
- The full processing and production of woods means that there are many waste processes at every stage.
Deforestation
- A major issue is deforestation. This affects local habitats and wildlife.
- Birds cannot flock and make nests and insect populations start to decrease.
Emissions
- Some woods are used as fuel, for example being burned on barbecues.
- This releases CO2 which is harmful to the environment.
- These emissions are detrimental because of the fact that we are using an environmentally-friendly material and burning it which is having the complete opposite effect.
Test yourself on Timber: Ecological & Social Footprint
What is a major ecological problem caused by producing timber?