Energy Source Wood remains a fuel source for heat and cooking in much of the world. While the percent of overall wood use devoted to fuel is declining as modernization progresses, this use still accounts for nearly half of all wood consumed worldwide. Because of availability and low cost, we make heavy use of wood and wood products ranging from lumber, paper, and chemicals to pencils and garden mulch. We leave to others the task of spelling out the economic benefits of forests and trees, which in our society have become formidable. Health-Related Values Medicine.
Trees are a direct source of cures for a range of ailments.
Studies show that people in hospital rooms affording a view of trees recover more quickly than those in rooms without a tree view. Close-by trees have been shown to reduce employee stress. Cultural Values Cultures defined by closeness to and use of forests are at the heart of innumerable communities world-wide. Many relate to forests, trees, and wood almost mystically. Forests with large trees bring out deeper thoughts and wonderment that for some are the stuff of religious experience.