Greenpeace Resists Clarion Call to "End Ancient Forest Logging" Insists can 'protect' ancient forests while actively promoting their fist time 'certified' logging

By Ecological Internet's Climate Ark and Rainforest Portal http://www.climateark.org/ and http://www.rainforestportal.org/ July 6, 2007

Greenpeace International has confirmed astonishing allegations by Ecological Internet that they actively promote and support the logging of ancient forests, at great expense to the Earth's climate. In their statement Greenpeace acknowledges they are "committed to protecting the world’s remaining ancient forests" yet support "the FSC as the only credible global certification system." What? Has Greenpeace become certifiably insane?

Greenpeace and other logging apologists such as WWF and the Rainforest Action Network want to have it both ways: against ancient forest logging, but for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which actively logs ancient forests. This comes as FSC is accused of a string of failed and corrupt certifications from Guyana to Indonesia to Russia.

"Greenpeace says they will protect ancient forests by promoting their industrial certified logging. Given a Greenpeace staff member chairs the international Forest Stewardship Council board, one would think they would realize that a large portion of current and expected growth in FSC logging takes place in primary and old-growth forests," notes Dr. Glen Barry.

Sadly, Greenpeace yet again refuses to substantively respond to criticisms of certified logging of ancient forests. Despite years of international concern regarding their stance, Greenpeace is yet to present their scientific and experiential basis for asserting first time logging of ancient forests -- some of which are millions of years old -- protects them.

"Given concerns regarding abrupt run-away climate change and loss of terrestrial ecosystems and species, the myth of environmental responsibility of certified industrial logging of primary forests must be revealed. This approach has been tried for a decade and a half and it simply is not working. Given trends in emerging climate change impacts and soaring public concern, why not embrace the moment and call for an end to industrial ancient forest logging? This would significantly protect both life giving forests and the climate."

As the world comes together with Live Earth, proclaiming there is a climate crisis and looking for sufficient responses, environmental bureaucracies such as Greenpeace and WWF will have to do better than claiming a non-ambitious, reformist forest conservation policy will be adequate to protect our last intact large forests, to stop climate change, and to achieve global ecological sustainability.

Members of WWF, Greenpeace and other ancient forest logging apologists are encouraged to cancel their memberships. Doing otherwise means you too have ancient forest blood on your hands. Requirements for sustainability of global climate and terrestrial ecosystems demand an immediate end to ancient forest logging.

###

Ecological Internet's current action alert targeting Greenpeace for their support of ancient forest logging can be found at: http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=greenpeace

Greenpeace's short and incomplete response is posted at: http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2007/06/alert_greenpeace_come_clean_an.asp#comments

ends

© Scoop Media