Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Junkomama]

I found a sentence "Let's cut down forests to prevent fires?!" ,which seems strange to me.
Is "cut down forests" a correct phrase?
I think we cut down trees in a forest, not a forest itself.
Am I wrong?

Thank you in advance!
Junkomama

[CP]

I think "cut down forests" is all right. It might be meant ironically in this case. Usually you just cut down a swath of trees to create a fire break, a place where the fire will die out for lack of fuel.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Junkomama]

Hello, CP-san.
Thank you so much for your answer!!

With regards,
Junkomama

[Bob S.]

It could be ironic hyperbole to make a point. What is the context?
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper

[lotus]

I agree, particularly with the question mark and exclamation point at the end.

There is another irony. Some say that to prevent forest fires, you must allow the forests to burn naturally. Otherwise, you'll just have massive acres of forest fuel waiting for an uncontrollable burn.

They may also be trying to be facetious; acknowledging that forest fires are inevitable and non-preventable. So, what's the difference if you were to let them burn or to cut them down?


--lotus
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War does not make one great --Yoda

[Junkomama]

Hello, Bob S-san, lotus-san.
Thank you for your comments!!

The sentence I quoted was the head line of an article about the Bush administration's plan to thin fire-prone forests, which made environmentalists angry.
So, I also think it is an ironic sentence.

With regards,
Junkomama