Geasphere has released a great new video documenting the environmental and social impacts of industrial tree plantations in South Africa. Timber plantations consume 30 times as much water each day as the population of South Africa. Thousands and thousands of people have been evicted to make way for Mondi and Sappi’s monocultures.
“Pulping the Future”: New video by Geasphere about industrial tree plantations in South Africa
Posted: 17 January 2012 in FSC, Mondi, Sappi, South Africa0
In June 2011, Greenpeace launched a campaign aimed at getting Mattel, the company behind Barbie, to stop buying packaging material manufactured from rainforest destruction.
Mattel has now released a new paper policy that eliminates paper and packaging coming from controversial sources, including tiger habitat.
Hundreds of thousands join Barbie Rainforest destruction campaign, spark Facebook complaint
Posted: 16 June 2011 in APP, Greenpeace, IndonesiaThe Ken and Barbie campaign continues…
Greenpeace banner drop at Mattel’s head office:
Greenpeace press release:
As you must know by now, Greenpeace launched a Barbie campaign last week. APP, predictably, denies any wrong-doing, but then again, they always do. On APP’s corporate website with the Orwellian title “Rainforest Realities”, APP’s Aida Greenbury describes Greenpeace’s report which backs up the Barbie campaign as “unsubstantiated allegations”. Greenpeace’s report can be downloaded here.
Here’s the interview with Ken, where he learns about Barbie’s rainforest destruction habit:
Protests continue against Gunns proposed pulp mill in Tasmania
Posted: 16 June 2011 in Australia, GunnsAs this video recently posted on youtube shows…
Gunns Pulp Mill -Tasmanians protest against corrupt approval of world’s third biggest pulp mill in the beautiful Tamar Valley. 100,000 residents in Launceston and Tamar Valley will be affected by toxic emissions. Tourism and fisheries will be hurt by dioxins in the river and sea. Tasmania becomes Plantation Island, with toxic sprays affecting surrounding farms and waterways. The island’s clean green brand will be destroyed. Tasmanians need the world’s help denying a social licence needed to attract investment. Stop the mill and huge carbon emissions, heal the social division, save the island’s environment. http://www.tapvision.info/
Keep up to date on Gunns’ latest shenanigans on the excellent Tasmanian Times.
More problems with FSC-certified plantations: this time it’s Altri Florestal in Portugal
Posted: 11 May 2011 in FSC, PortugalPress release from Quercus in Portugal. Why does FSC keep allowing this sort of operation to be certified?
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Video: Eucalyptus plantations in Brazil threaten Maned Sloth with extinction
Posted: 15 April 2011 in Aracruz, Brazil, Fibria, Stora Enso, VeracelEUCALYPTUS TAKES MANED SLOTH TO EXTINCTION from alicia pakareu on Vimeo.
Alicia Pakareu commented on a previous post about Veracel, to inform us about another threat caused by eucalyptus monocultures and extensive cattle grazing. Above is her video, and below is her information posted on vimeo.com.
New report from Greenomics challenges APP’s “sustainability” claims
Posted: 17 January 2011 in APP, IndonesiaA new report from Indonesian NGO Greenomics challenges APP’s statements about its “sustainable and environmentally conscious” operations.
The report, “Time for Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) to Come Clean to Stakeholders on its Indonesian Operations,” (pdf file 341.8 KB) is in response to an APP statement released on 1 August 2010, in which the company stated that:
“Since 1996, APP’s pulpwood suppliers have been developing degraded and low conservation-value areas, legally designated by the Government of Indonesia for pulpwood plantations to support the country’s sustainable development. Much of pulpwood suppliers’ concession areas are denuded wasteland and community-based forest plantations. APP would not accept its pulpwood suppliers to cut high conservation value forest as defined by the Government of Indonesia.”
In an open letter to APP stakeholders, Greenomics explains that it has has “examined the veracity of this ‘fact’ having regard to APP’s pulpwood sources, the clearing of natural forest, and the connection between these activities and climate change.”
Tree plantations cause grave problems
Posted: 30 September 2010 in 21 September, Argentina, Colombia, MexicoEach year, 21 September is the international day against tree monocultures. Friends of the Earth International put out the press release (below), with links to a series of videos on the impacts of plantations (in Spanish).
