Post #345962 by christiki295 on Sun, Nov 25, 2007 8:35 PM

Even today, forests are being cut down for fuel. In Israel, 2 trucks carrying 30 tons of illegally chopped wood

"With winter just around the corner, the prospect of high heating bills is on the minds of many Israelis -- particularly villagers high above sea level in the northern Galilee region, home to many of the country's poorest families.

The higher the price of fuel, and the colder the weather, the more likely people are to invade Israel's forests in search of affordable warmth. This month, police seized two trucks carrying 30 tons of wood felled without permit.

"We find a close correlation between this activity and the rise in fuel prices," said Omri Bonneh, director of the Jewish National Fund's northern region, which deploys 50 rangers to patrol tens of thousands of acres of forest. "It is driven by financial distress."LAT 11/24/07

I don't blame the poor, but it is just one example of how history seems to be repeating itself.