Japan aims to halve pollen emissions in 30 years to tackle hay fever

Japan aims to halve pollen emissions 

… the government plans to reduce areas of planted cedar by around 20 percent over the next decade by cutting 70,000 hectares of the trees per year

How does cutting 16% of the Japan’s cedar forests halve pollen emissions?

700,000 hectares / 4.31 million hectares of planted cedar forests generating pollen = 16 percent

A simpler solution would be to systematically replace them with the beautiful, mainly broadleaved species that were eradicated to make way for them. Cedar plantation is a severe visual blight on the countryside in addition to the problems it causes. But, of course, there is a lot of money and vested interests in generating the allergies and finding technical solutions.

The government also pledged to encourage home builders to use more timber from domestic cedar trees 

I suspect this is more of a driver of this policy decision than concern for allergies.

I've always wondered if a class action lawsuit would be viable since it was failed government policy to replace Japan's forests with rapid growing cedar trees. This is what causes the freakishly high pollen counts and vulnerabilities to landslides.

https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/17/science/japan-s-cedar-forests-are-man-made-disaster.html

30 years!

That's way too fast, steady on!

Good news but too late and too slow for me. I will be too dead to benefit.

It would be nice to see diverse forests in Japan! he mono species cedar forests are pretty barren!

30 years sounds about right for the Japanese government's action to take effect.

Uh oh. Someone in the cedar business upset some bureaucrat.

What ol' Jack Burton always says

This is terrible news.

And not condusive to climate

Someone wants to cut down a bunch of trees to make money and using hay fever as an excuse.

They will be replaced with species that emit less pollen, and also help prevent erosion.

A good candidate would be hemp, which was initially defoliated to be replaced by the cedar.

This is the first time in my life to suffer from allergic conjunctivitis.

How does cutting 16% of the Japan’s cedar forests halve pollen emissions?

It is govt math.

I hope they will also have a serious look at what is causing the allergies...

Cut down the trees and exponentialy increase global warming/climate change.

allegies are caused mostly by overexposure of cleaning products in developing children.

16% in ten years (a decade), and over 30 years, = 48%, no?

I hope they will also have a serious look at what is causing the allergies

In Japan? is like having a serious look about what causes water puddles after the rain. Not precisely a big mystery

allegies are caused mostly by overexposure of cleaning products in developing children.

Any scientific reference to prove this? Even if chemical products can increase forms of asthma that completely different from causing hay fever.

solution: boost people's immune systems.

when one's immune system is strong and healthy, allergies diminish.

how to boost? exercise, sleep, reduce stress, eat a variety of unprocessed foods, keep your weight down, live and work where the air is fresh (not recirculated), get sunshine (vitamin D) everyday.

allegies are caused mostly by overexposure of cleaning products in developing children.

There is a correlation between childhood vaccination and allergies. Perhaps we should have a serious look at whether there is also causation....

A simpler solution would be to systematically replace them with the beautiful, mainly broadleaved species that were eradicated to make way for them.

That would be very desirable, Japan's natural forests need help. But they plan to replace the cedars with cedars that produce less pollen and thus still provide lumber.

Japan's forests aren't going to be getting any prettier any time soon I fear.

solution: boost people's immune systems.

You understand that allergies come from an immune system that reacts too strongly against non-pathogenic allergens right? your suggestion is like saying we should boost the blood glucose level of diabetes patients.

There is a correlation between childhood vaccination and allergies. Perhaps we should have a serious look at whether there is also causation....

No, there is not.

The source you tried to use the last time has been completely debunked using valid scientific arguments that demonstrate its conclusions are invalid, you could not counter argue any of those arguments which means you accept the source you tried to use is invalid.

https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/significant-methodological-flaws-in-a-2020-study-claiming-to-show-unvaccinated-children-are-healthier-brian-hooker-childrens-health-defense/

https://www.respectfulinsolence.com/2020/05/29/hooker-and-miller-publish-terrible-vaxxed-unvaxxed-study/

Hope all that wood is put to good use tho.

How does cutting 16% of the Japan’s cedar forests halve pollen emissions?

Young trees emit the most pollen, so this problem will right itself given time, provided new sugi etc. are weed whacked and not allowed to grow from dropped seed. No one moans about 100s of years old sugi trees in shrines emitting pollen, because they don't.

The remedy is therefore to selectively cut some trees and wait for others to age and become less of a problem. There is no need to cut all of them down, which would be very expensive and wasteful for good quality ones usable as lumber. "Young trees" here can mean "under 70 or 80 years old", it'll depend on the species/cultivar.

We had about 150 sugis behind our house but had them clear cut. It's south facing, which no doubt helps, but the land now has a mix of other trees on it, some of which are over 15m high in just 15 years. Mizuki dogwoods, urihadakaede, koshiabura, nurude, ... and that's just the ones I can identify from my tree book.

solution: boost people's immune systems.

That's exactly what you don't want to do. Allergies are the result of an overactive immune system.

30 years sounds about right for the Japanese government's action to take effect.

No doubt this will be postponed , as every other target government sets here. Especially one that iams for something to happen in 30 years.

Healthy forests, healthy people.

Japan aims to halve pollen emissions in 30 years to tackle hay fever

Japan will fail because there are over 60 sources of pollen emissions.

Also, the exposure to cleaning products as children does not help.

I might just make it will turn 100.

Also, the exposure to cleaning products as children does not help.

What relationship do you think cleaning products have with hay fever? there is no such thing being reported. (Except maybe from nameless people with supposed credentials that can't be confirmed).

The only article you have brought is about rhinitis, not hay fever, hopefully the mistake is only from your part, because an actual medical doctor confusing between both things would not be justifiable.

A pubmed search about cleaning products and hay fever offers no results about this relationship, it is hard to have this complete lack of evidence if this was as widely reported as you claim.