Disguised as Rainforest Creatures, Activists Expose Greenwashing by Rainforest Alliance
Demand End of Certification of Rainforest Destruction.
(New York, New York) – Thursday the New York Climate Action Group (NYCAG) joins other environmental organizations denouncing Rainforest Alliance for profiting financially from the destruction of rainforests.
NYCAG is demanding a permanent end to the industrial logging of old-growth forests worldwide. Dressed as creatures from the rainforests of the world, environmentalists from New York City will participate in a festive rally to greet and inform the participants at a Rainforest Alliance cocktail party.
Scientific studies have shown that industrial logging in old-growth rainforests is never sustainable and leads to their permanent destruction by ranchers, mining operations, and industrial agricultural interests. Rainforest Alliance receives 30% of its funding by certifying industrial logging through their “Smartwood” program. They are the largest such certifier in the world. “Smartwood” certification follows Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines, which Rainforest Alliance claims will ensure sustainable forestry. In truth, however, FSC guidelines allow first-time logging of pristine ancient forests. These forests are recognized by climate scientists worldwide as our greatest defense against climate change.
Many cocktail party attendees coming expecting pina coladas will first be met by activists disguised as rain forest creatures, including an array of wild birds and mammals and even a gorilla to represent those imperiled because of certified logging schemes similar to Smartwood in the Congo.
The watchdog group, FSC-Watch, is directed by one of the founders of FSC Simon Counsell, who became its greatest critic. They have reported that, in addition to legal unsustainable logging, SmartWood has issued FSC certificates to various companies involved in illegal logging; its parent organization, Rainforest Alliance, also issued 'ethical certificates' to a company which that was actually working with Colombian terrorists.
In recent weeks, opponents of FSC certification of old-growth forest logging have achieved important victories. On January 17th the city council of Ocean City (New Jersey) voted unanimously to cancel a $1.1 million purchase of ipę timber from ancient rainforests, despite claims that its FSC certification ensured sustainability. Dr. Glen Barry, of Ecological Internet, responded, "The message is getting through: for our survival rainforest logging must end. Remaining rainforests must be protected and allowed to expand, with compensation to local peoples."
But is the message getting through?
Explains NYCAG member Emily Sandusky, dressed as a gorilla, “I hope Rainforest Alliance will recognize that FSC certification of old-growth tropical timber is certifying the destruction of the rainforest.”
The activists urged Rainforest Alliance to recognize the need to support permanent protected status for the world's remaining old growth forests. The animals will ask cocktail party-goers to use their influence to get Rainforest Alliance to change its ways and to stop selling old growth rainforest timber products. Rainforest Alliance will also be urged to support NYCAG efforts to end New York City's use of tropical hardwoods.
For more information on the FALSE $OLUTION of certification, visit www.fsc-watch.org
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Date/Time: Thursday, January 24, 7pm at RA Headquarters, 665 Broadway (near E. 3rd St.)
Contacts for more information:
Emily Sandusky, Founding Member of NYCAG, telephone: 1.315 576 1747
Dr. Tom Struhsaker, Duke University, Author of Ecology of an African Rain Forest: Logging in Kibale and the conflict between conservation and exploitation. tomstruh@duke.edu
Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet - info@EcologicalInternet.org; telephone: 1.920 776 1075
Comments
Glen-
I attended one of the Rainforest Alliance sessions at West Coast Green in San Francisco in 2006. They planned to increase FSC certification to 160 million acres by 2010 in the US, 250 million acres worldwide.
There are obviously not enough human resources to carry out monitoring on that scale. That's all the evidence you need about Smartwood and FSC.
Michael V. Roddy
Posted by: Michael V. Roddy | January 24, 2008 6:40 PM
Yes, this is exactly my concern. The growth projections for FSC certification necessitate ever greater dependence upon first time logging of primary and old-growth forests, at least until these are commercially extinct.
Regards,
Glen
Posted by: Dr. Glen Barry | January 24, 2008 6:43 PM
bravo to you, as always, for all your hard work.....nathan
Posted by: Nathan | January 25, 2008 6:20 PM
Hello Friends,
We live in Clayoquot Sound, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island where almost 1000 people were arrested to prevent to destruction of coastal old growth forests...for many reasons: the instable coastal mountains, the wild salmon and wildlife associated with it and other obvious connections. Both my husband and I went to prison to express our concern over this, where I spent time in maximum security where we were sent to "teach us a lesson"...(I chose to go to jail rather than pay a fine in spite of our four children). I am 62 years old and a grandmother of 3 and have lived here for almost 40 years now and have sadly watched the ongoing destruction of the coastal rainforest in this area and Canada's west coast along with much that it supports. The old growth forest that is presently being logged here (in 6 major river valleys) is Forest Certified by FSC and the logging companies (the very ones we fought against to protect this area) are now high-grading the old growth cedar trees (which contain much of the history of the First Nations people) with giant helicopters, new logging roads, log booms and blasting. It is a sad day for all of humanity when this is taking place in what is supposed to be one of the last remaining adequate stands of old growth forest left on Vancouver Island and Canada's west coast, and a United Nations Biosphere reserve, supposedly some of the best examples of what we as humans can accomplish. We have pictures of the slides being created by the logging. The rest of Vancouver Island which has been logged is a biological wasteland supporting very little. What can we do??? sincerely, Susanne Hare Do you have Simon Counsell's email as I feel it would be important to express our views and concern to him? Perhaps you could pass this on to him? Thank you for your good work, For All Our Relations, Susanne Hare
Posted by: Susanne Hare | January 25, 2008 6:23 PM