Big W as Comic Relief

Weyerhaeuser Corp. has raped the forest lands of North America and other parts of the world for 150 years and it’s not often that Big W provides haw-haws to those who follow its efforts to pretend in national ads that it really cares about Bambi and salmon.

But the other day, thanks to The Seattle Times’ excellent coverage of a recent storm and floods in southwest Washington State, including a picture that says it all about Big W’s timber practices, one of Weyerhaeuser’s chief timber beasts–the nickname for cut-‘em-down foresters–opined that he and his fellows would take a look-see at how and where they clearcut–that is, cut huge swatches of forest lands bare, screw the habitat for animals and other critters.

The company’s statement provoked belly laughs from those who appreciate Big W’s buying and selling of politicians and of university forestry professors, all to insulate and defend it and thus other timber companies from laws to protect the environment.

You can get more truth out of a used-car salesman needing a meth fix, literally.

From Weyerhaeuser’s point-of-view, what’s one more lie about causing avalanches, ruining creeks and rivers and helping flood people’s home? That’s just the cost of doing business–other people’s costs.