From grbarry@students.wisc.edu Tue Aug 1 10:02:44 2000
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 18:13:45 -0500
From: Glen R. Barry
Subject: BIOD: Renewed Drive to Fight Illegal Logging Continues
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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
Renewed Drive to Fight Illegal Logging Continues
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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org, Inc.
http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Archives
http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest Conservation
07/26/00
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
In the face of continued pressure from Greenpeace and others, the G8
announced at the end of their summit that they support sustainable
forest management and intend to "combat illegal logging and protect
the eco-system". Given the lack of action following similar pledges
in the past, this is unlikely to have an immediate significant impact,
but at least the issue continues to gain prominence. Meanwhile,
Greenpeace brought their hard-hitting campaign to highlight
consumption of illegally harvested timber to the United States. A
Danish ship docked in Savannah, Georgia was boarded in protest of
illegal harvesting of timber from the Amazon rain forest. The ship
carried plywood from a Malaysian trading company that has been found
in possession of illegal timber. A recent Greenpeace study uncovered
hard evidence that many companies who regularly export timber to the
U.S. and elsewhere are implicated in the illegal timber trade,
including the Rimbunan Hijau group, one of the world's top rainforest
destroyers.
In related news, the damning report about the destruction of tropical
forests by multinational companies, that was suppressed and then
recently released in a slightly sanitized form, is now available in
its original version on the Internet. The German rainforest group
Rettet den Regenwald ( regenwald@umwelt.ecolink.org ) has released the
original which contains names and facts about companies responsible
for corrupt predatory logging. Please check it out at:
http://www.umwelt.org/regenwald/JointReport.pdf. With the recent
flurry of hard documentation and non-violent direct action, I sense
momentum building within the rainforest conservation movement, and
expect that shortly predatory logging of ancient forests will be only
a shameful memory.
g.b.
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ITEM #1
Title: G8 summit: New drive to fight illegal logging
Source: The Guardian, Copyright 2000
Date: July 24, 2000
Leaders of the world's most powerful nations moved yesterday to
tighten up the $70bn global timber trade in a renewed drive to combat
illegal logging and protect the eco-system, writes Jonathan Watts.
The G8 endorsed the need for sustainable forest management when they
pledged in a final communiqu,: 'We will examine how best we can combat
illegal logging, including export and procurement practices.'
Environmentalists welcomed the fresh impetus for the campaign to
conserve the world's ancient forests, being depleted at the rate of
one football pitch every two seconds.
The G8 consume 74% of the world's forestry product exports, but they
have been criticised for paying too little attention to where their
timber comes from.
In Brazil, the government says illegal logging operations account for
80% of the trees chopped down in the Amazon rainforest.
But loose regulations and poor oversight make it almost impossible to
assess whether a log has been obtained from a sustainable source or
from ecologically precious forests.
Under a British initiative, the governments of the G8 agreed yesterday
to set an example by considering ways to ensure that public purchases
of timber come from approved businesses, such as those certified by
the Forestry Stewardship Council.
By also promising to look into export practices, the G8 took a step
further on the logging issue than in previous summits.
However, Canada, the main timber exporter among the group, and Japan,
the main importer, remain reluctant to establish a new system of
rules.
Conservationists welcomed the G8 move, but they said the words would
have to be backed up by actions if they were not to suffer the fate of
initiatives made at the Birmingham summit two years ago, which have
made little progress.
'This is a welcome shift of direction,' said Martin Kaizer of
Greenpeace.
'We are very happy that procurement practices have been mentioned, but
now we must watch carefully to ensure that this plan is implemented.'
During the summit, four Greenpeace activists were arrested and the
group's ship - the Rainbow Warrior - was raided by riot police after
they tried to deliver eight logs to the G8 leaders.
ITEM #2
Title: Timber protesters arrested
Source: Copyright 2000, United Press International
Date: July 25, 2000
Seven Greenpeace activists faced charges today after some of them
boarded a Danish ship at a private dock in Savannah, Georgia, to
protest the illegal harvesting of timber in the Amazon rain forest.
The arrests occurred after two women and three men boarded the Danish-
flagged ship CIC Light at the Georgia Steamship dock on Monday to
prevent importation of timber from South America.
All seven were charged with trespassing, and three of them were
released on $350 bond. The Immigration and Naturalization Service
detained four nationals from Germany, Belgium and Britain for possible
deportation, Greenpeace said.
Five of the activists tied themselves to the ship with ropes and
unfurled a banner that read "Stop Illegal Logging." Two of the
protesters fell into the water when crew members cut their ropes.
There were no injuries.
Chatham County sheriff's officials and the U.S. Coast Guard arrested
the five who had boarded the ship, a man who had driven the group onto
Georgia Steamship property and a British man who piloted a safety
boat.
Greenpeace said the ship had arrived from a Brazilian port and was
carrying plywood from a Malaysian trading company that has been fined
by Brazil in the past for possession of illegal timber.
"Every week, criminal timber is being shipped into the U.S. from
around the world. The U.S. government promised to tackle the illegal
timber trade and is simply turning a blind eye to this flourishing
market," Greenpeace activist Scott Paul said.
The ship's commercial agent, Kevin Russom, said the cargo was legal.
He said wood products headed for the CIC Light have frequently been
inspected by Brazilian environmental authorities.
"This lumber that's loaded on our ship has gone through two different
Brazilian organizations. One is their forestry association and the
other is their customs group. All the documents are checked out before
the lumber is ready to load," Russom said.
Greenpeace has stepped up its timber protests in connection with the
recent Group of Eight meeting in Japan, complaining that governments
have not taken action promised at the 1997 summit of the G-8.
ITEM #3
Title: CREW REACTS VIOLENTLY TO CRIMINAL TIMBER PROTEST
Two activists drop from bow, seven arrested.
Source: Greenpeace PressAlert
Date: July 24, 2000
SAVANNAH, GA, July 24, 2000- Seven Greenpeace activists were arrested
after five members of their group boarded the Danish vessel CIC Light
to spotlight the shipping of criminal timber from the Amazon
rainforest.
The ship's crew reacted suddenly and violently upon spotting the
activists. Two activists were unfurling a large banner which was
snatched away. Two other activists' ropes were cut as they attempted
to climb aboard the ship. The activists plunged from the side into the
water where they were subsequently rescued by Greenpeace activists in
an inflatable boat. Three activists, Veronica Froelich from the U.S.,
Heike Staudigl from Germany, and Paul Goyvaerts from Belgium, remained
on board. All three carried smaller banners.
"This reaction is only a symptom of the violence that pervades the
global illegal timber trade," said Scott Paul, Greenpeace Forest
Campaigner. "Every week criminal timber is being shipped into the U.S.
from around the world. The U.S. Government promised to tackle the
illegal timber trade, and is simply turning a blind eye to this
flourishing market."
Police officers boarded the ship and arrested the three activists who
remained onboard the ship. The two activists who were dropped into
the water, Christian Jonuschies from Germany and Jim Klein from the
U.S., eventually boarded the ship and remained roped to the bow until
they were taken into custody by the U.S. Coast Guard. The drivers of
the safety boat and the van, James Mitchell and Dexter Sumner, were
also arrested. All were arrested by the Chatham County Sheriff's
department on a simple misdemeanor trespass charge.
A recent Greenpeace 18-month investigation in remote regions of the
Amazon uncovered hard evidence that several companies who regularly
export timber to the U.S. are implicated in the illegal timber trade
including the Rimbunan Hijau group, one of the world's top rainforest
destroyers. The Brazilian Government estimates that 80% of all logging
in the Brazilian Amazon is illegal.
This Greenpeace action is the latest in a series of global protests to
protect the Earth's last remaining ancient forests. In the past weeks,
Greenpeace activists around the world have exposed criminal timber
imports into G8 countries.
CONTACT:
Scott Paul, (202) 256-0676 (cell); Carol Gregory, (202) 256-4041
(cell);
Aaron Bannon (202) 319- 2432; or visit the Greenpeace website,
www.greenpeaceusa.org
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