With such large areas of a single species dying at what seems to be an increasing rate, few alarm bells are ringing and those that are seem to be ignored in the interests of the local economy.  

At the simplest, we should take the time to look around and wonder about the trees in our parks, on our streets or shading our houses and consider the cost of removal of a dying tree, surely this should prompt us into asking questions as to why this is happening.  

We should also wonder how the removal of a single foundation species could affect the remaining biota.

We’ve all looked across dead landscapes, be it in the Monaro, the Snowies or along the banks of our rivers and wondered about the reasons or solutions to these problems.  With this in mind we should take a step back, look across our valley and imagine only seeing the ghosts of once magnificent trees and consider if we are willing to accept this in the name of our own self-interests.  

We seem to worry more about one tree threatening a few cars in a car park, this being a news-worthy item, than the loss of thousands of trees threatening our environment.  

With greater understanding of the interactions between species and how one event can interact with many apparently disconnected systems, we should care, if only in our ignorance. Perhaps we are just happy for the abundance of cheap firewood.