Garden Furniture Scorecard Monday, July 23, 2007 By: Stacy Brown Connecting sustainable forest management and garden furniture purchases Tropical forests are rapidly disappearing around the globe. Wildlife dependent on this ecosystem for survival are being pushed to extinction, and human communities are displaced. The ability of tropical forests to produce oxygen and absorb carbon, critical to moderate global warming, is compromised by ongoing deforestation. One major cause of tropical deforestation is the demand for tropical timber to be used for outdoor furniture. As major consumers of this furniture, Americans have a responsibility and opportunity to move to more sustainable sources of tropical wood for our garden furniture purchases. The Forest Stewardship Council certification system offers a way to distinguish wood products that support forest management protecting water, soil and wildlife habitat. To help people find FSC-certified garden furniture, NWF has created a garden furniture scorecard. Support sustainable forest management in local forests and across the globe--look for FSC logo when you buy wood products.