Yes, in the sense that prior to the use of coal, forests were being used unsustainably and, frequently, exhausted.
At the time of the American Revolution, England relied on its American colonies for lumber, fuelwood, turpentine (derived from pine pitch), and other forestry products. It wasn't able to provision its own ships let alone fuel supplies, absent these.
Forests have recovered in Europe over the past 100-150 years, but that's almost entirely due to offloading fuel supplies to coal, oil, and gas.
Among the problems prompted by Greece's credit crisis is a renewal of woodburning, creating both air quality problems and deforestation:
At the time of the American Revolution, England relied on its American colonies for lumber, fuelwood, turpentine (derived from pine pitch), and other forestry products. It wasn't able to provision its own ships let alone fuel supplies, absent these.
Forests have recovered in Europe over the past 100-150 years, but that's almost entirely due to offloading fuel supplies to coal, oil, and gas.
Among the problems prompted by Greece's credit crisis is a renewal of woodburning, creating both air quality problems and deforestation:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/greece-financial-crisis-high-fue...
In the US, quality lumber is becoming difficult to find:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Construction/comments/389q25/lumber...