Polystyrene would have to be rejected on any environmental grounds.

1) Trees grow back, oil does not. If you are concerned and use a lot of
woodenware, plant a tree or two in your yard, pasture or contribute to a
cause that does so in your name.  Although Europe is running out of trees
for many uses, some parts of the US now has more tree cover than when it was
first "discovered" by Europeans (due to forest management policies, burn
bans, etc, and due to replanting by mostly lumber and paper pulp companies).
I don't think anyone will grow a dinosaur in your name to replenish oil
reserves (I could be wrong, you can buy just about anything on the 'net
these days, although I would caution buyer beware).

2) If having to burn equipment in the case of disease, wood is a relatively
clean burning fuel, while polystyrene is not. Not to mention the large
puddle of goo left at the end, you also have to provide some other fuel just
to get a fire hot enought to melt the equipment, increasing costs. In some
states, open burning of polystyrene is no doubt illegal and I doubt you
would want to do so inside (while if you have used only environmentally
friendly paints, you could break and burn woodenware even inside, if in a
small enough quantity).

3) At the end of life, wooden ware will either decompose well if tossed out
or may be easily burned (and if no lead paint, the ashes spread in pasture
after removing nails). Polystyrene contributes to the landfill and
essentially never breaks down.

4) The creation of polystyrene pollutes the air, while creating lumber
cleans it. See
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpolystyrene.htm or
http://www.ejnet.org/plastics/polystyrene/production.html ( the latter
admittedly a little biased ) versus benefits of growing trees:

http://www.gov.edmonton.ab.ca/comm_services/parkland_services/forestry/benef
its_from_growing_trees.html
http://www.ott.doe.gov/rbep/pdfs/trees_as_biofuel.pdf
http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/Communications/news/January2002/GetGrow/GIGColumn(T
rees-Arbor%20Day)-01-11-02.htm
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/forestry/Education/infotrees.htm
http://www.armeniatree.org/benefits.htm


Karen Oland

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Humdinger
>
> I, too, would like to see them utilized more here in the United States for
> the simple fact that if we use them, we may be able save lots of trees.
... Pros:
> 2. They *seem* environmentally friendly so far.
> 3. In the long run, we will run out of trees.