Is going paper really good for the environment?

Lately, the voice of the eco warriors have grown louder. More and more people are starting to get concerned about protecting our environment.

Even the government of the Philippines has started to act to protect and save what we have remaining to the extent that they have passed a law banning the use of plastic bags in commercial establishments.

A number of cities have already adopted staggered implementation of the law like Mandaluyong city. To read more, click here.

But is it really more eco friendly using paper? Majority of our forests are gone. With the loss of our forests, floods and other natural disasters are more common. Isnt going paper going to increase the demand for more trees being cut?

Wouldnt it be easier to find ways to increase recycling, researching biodegradable plastic materials and enforcing laws in garbage disposal than using up more trees? Yes maybe in the short run we would be able to reduce our plastic wastes. But what abour our trees? Are there steps being made to replenish our forests and possibly even reclaim land for trees, when the demand for more and more land to be industrialized growing?