The Lorax Reflection

In the Lorax, the Once-ler shows up into this previously undisrupted ecosystem and begins to chop down the Truffula trees in order to create thneeds. The Lorax "speaks for the trees" and warns the Once-ler that his actions will have consequences, but the Once-ler continues until the trees are gone. At the end of the story, the Once-ler who was telling the story gives the boy who was listening the last Truffula seed in the hopes that he will choose to repair the situation.
In Truax, there is much less of a plot, and much more of just a conversation between the Woodcutter and Guardbark about their differing views on the importance of tree conservation. At the end, they supposedly come to the conclusion that they are in fact on the same side and the Guardbark decides the state of the forest is not as bad as it seems.
The discussion that usually emerges from comparing the Lorax and the Truax is where the value of forests and other natural resources comes from. Is it in their beauty and shelter or in their commercial value? For many, the answer is the latter, because many people have profit as their goal. It is much more difficult to make money conserving trees than by developing paper and other consumer goods from them. However, the true value cannot be measured; there is no figure that could accurately represent the value of a irreplaceable resource. Though trees can be replanted, they usually do not grow back as strong as trees that are allowed to grow naturally. Not to mention endangered species! How can one truly put a price on losing something that can never be regained? In the Truax the Woodcutter seems to suggest most endangered species aren't special enough to keep, but every organism serves its purpose in a cycle. Many times if a species' predator is eliminated the species will still suffer losses due to increased competition. Endangered species, even if not obviously useful, still are very much necessary for ecosystems to remain in balance.
Greed is a very dangerous and powerful influence in America's society but also all over the world. The Lorax helped demonstrate that being greedy and selfish one can harm many others around them. Using diminishing resources would be bad enough if it was simply to gain something that was considered necessary, but the majority of the damage being done is simply because people want more for themselves. Businesses hope to make an extra profit when they truly could settle for less. The choice of personal gain over the bigger picture that affects not only this generation but many to come is simply unacceptable. Much of the Truax is not considering what is best for society, only what is more profitable and making excuses for that behavior.
The most important piece of information to gain from this comparison is that nothing will get better unless action is taken. The Truax ends with the Guardbark stating the situation is not as bad as it seems, while the Lorax ends by acknowledging everyone's personal responsibility. To simply accept the state of things even if there is room for improvement is lazy. The Lorax implores everyone to make their contribution to better the environment and conservation. There is always more to be saved and more to be done. Do not settle for the way things are simply because they aren't so bad, always work to improve the situation.

The Lorax, a book actually intended for children, uses much brighter colors than the Truax, which was created simply to critique the Lorax.

Deforestation is clearly a remaining issue, and should be corrected even if it's "not as bad as it seems."