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Action Alert: Greenpeace, Come Clean and Stop Supporting Ancient Rainforest Logging

There is no such thing as certified, sustainable logging of primary forests. Tell Greenpeace to release their suppressed report on industrial certified forestry, and to resign the chair and withdraw from the Forest Stewardship Council

By Rainforest Portal, a project of Ecological Internet - June 30, 2007

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1.) Inform Yourself

QUICK JUMP: ENTER INFO (2) | SEND (3)

NOTE: This is a protest, not a petition, sending emails to many real decision makers on matters vital to the Earth.

Caption: Certified, sustainable ancient forest destruction brought to you by Greenpeace (link)

There is no denying the fact that Greenpeace supports Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) efforts to certify logging of primary and old-growth forests as environmentally acceptable. It is a matter of public record. FSC's international board is chaired by a Greenpeace forest campaigner and they have long promoted FSC as the source of "green" timber. Greenpeace supports industrial ancient forest logging even as they are apparently suppressing their own report on specific problematic forest certifications. Transparency and depth of ecological understanding are not Greenpeace's strength.

When the whole notion of certified logging in ancient rainforests is questioned, the Greenpeace PR machine shifts into full gear and seeks to mislead rather than respond substantively to the concerns of those working to end ancient forest logging as a key response to climate change and requirement for global ecological sustainability. Critical questions remain unanswered. How does industrial logging protect ancient forests? When in a particular situation does Greenpeace support ancient forest logging and when do they not? What body of ecological science and experience does Greenpeace have to support its stance?

Primary forests are irreversibly diminished when logged. Environmental groups cannot support nonsensical promises of "certified sustainable" ancient forest logging with impunity any longer. It is exceedingly hard to stop industrial logging in the Amazon, Congo, Canada, Russia and elsewhere when big groups like Greenpeace and WWF continue to support failed reform of the industrial ancient forest logging industry. It is a difficult decision to campaign against this greenwashing; but FSC, Greenpeace and WWF are so insular, and so defensive of their failed support of industrial certified forestry, that true forest conservationists no longer have an option.

Sometime last year, Greenpeace started investigating 'problematic' FSC certifications. The report likely identified how deeply Greenpeace has become ensnared in specific failed certifications, and just what a disaster their embrace of FSC has been for the environment. Where is this report, and when is Greenpeace going to publish it?

This is what I think is going on. Greenpeace knows they have a problem with FSC, but for tactical reasons they are pretending that everything is OK. Greenpeace needs a simple message when condemning illegal loggers, and if it cannot be said on a banner, then it is not worth saying. They only have "Buy FSC" as a plausible solution, and generally refuse to support stopping ancient forest logging altogether. Greenpeace has invested years of effort into this nonsense, and presumably now would find it nearly impossible to admit they have been wrong. Let's renew our call that Greenpeace end their support for ancient forest logging, while publicizing the matter and urging their supporters to cancel their membership until they do so.

• | Discuss Alert

Sample Email Sent

When is right time to end ancient forest logging? How about now?

Grant Rosoman
Greenpeace, New Zealand and
Chairperson, Forest Stewardship Council

Dear Mr. Rosoman,

I wish to renew the call for Greenpeace to end your
support for ancient forest logging. There is no such thing
as certified, sustainable logging of primary and old-
growth forests. Greenpeace's continued support (along with
other senior respected NGOs) of failed efforts by the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to reform industrial
logging of ancient forests is causing great harm to the
world's climate, indigenous peoples, biodiversity and
prospects for global ecological sustainability.

I understand that recently Greenpeace began
investigating 'problematic' FSC certifications. Where is
this report, and when is Greenpeace going to publish it?
It is simply unacceptable to suppress findings that show
just how destructive industrial certified forestry is in
the world's last large and contiguous forest wildlands.

In an era of runaway, abrupt climate change and dwindling
primary forests; Greenpeace's support of ancient forest
logging makes you a valid target of protest. Please look
past your individual and organization's self-interest and
think how logging millions of year old ecosystems that
evolved naturally does a grave disservice to the
environment.

Greenpeace must immediately cease supporting industrial
scaled logging of primary and old-growth forests. It is
essential that Greenpeace, which has done so much
good for the Earth, have the courage and wisdom to admit
when you are wrong and change course. Greenpeace should
either reply substantively to these concerns or abandon
support for certified logging of ancient rainforests.
Obstinacy is not a substitute for argument.

I call upon Greenpeace to immediately withdraw as an
organization from FSC, to release the suppressed FSC
report on problematic certications, and for you personally
Mr. Rosoman to resign your position as chair. Until
Greenpeace commits to ending ancient forest logging, I
will continue informing others of your actions and urging
your supporters to cancel their membership. Do you plan on
making a detailed response to our concerns?

With grave concern,