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*************** EARTH MEANDERS Exclude Ancient Forest Logging Supporters from Holiday Gift List Environmental groups embracing certified logging of primary and old-growth forests threaten climate, biodiversity, ecosystems, sustainability and humanity -- stop giving them money By Dr. Glen Barry, http://earthmeanders.blogspot.com/ November 12th, 2007 What do Rainforest Action Network (RAN), Greenpeace (GP) and WWF have in common? Each support first time, industrial logging of ancient rainforests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); implying and even stating it is sustainable and somehow "protects" these primordial green cathedrals that sustain being. The "Big-Three" ancient forest logging apologists have sold out the world's forests and climate, and should have no place on your holiday gift list. They refuse to even defend their FSC support, and will not commit to ending ancient forest logging until it hits their bottom line. So stop giving them money. If you fund them, it is like you have a chainsaw in your hand, and are logging ancient forests filled with rare biodiversity, altering ecosystems and spewing tons of carbon into the atmosphere. The organization that I head, Ecological Internet (EI), campaigns effectively to end ancient forest logging and confront FSC and supporters. Support us instead at http://www.climateark.org/donate/ Ancient forests have evolved over millions of years. Their full, intact biodiversity maintains ecosystem functions -- including carbon and water storage and cycling -- that sustain the biosphere, and meet human and others' habitat needs. Intact, large expanses of ancient rainforests are making their last stand, and it is way past time to confront and stop all who would allow their industrial diminishment or loss. Our campaign strategy featured prominently in a recent Wall Street Journal article, where FSC acknowledged their label was "destroying pristine forest". We roughly estimate 60% of FSC timbers have their origin in first time logging of primary and old-growth forests -- threatening an area twice the size of the Amazon with being ravaged by bulldozers for your FSC barbeque furniture. No such figures are released by FSC. RAN is the only organization that agreed to discuss the issue, but like the others refused to substantially defend their position. RAN stated they were for ending ancient forest logging; but not using their FSC membership to examine, or work to end, FSC's leading role promoting and expanding ancient forest logging. Such doublespeak illustrates RAN's incredible intellectual weakness, lack of boldness and imagination, and a profound lack of belief that anything can be changed. The Rainforest Action Network does not protect RAINFOREST from certified logging, does not take ACTION to stop FSC expansion of first time logging of ancient rainforests, and aside from another great fund-raising party in NYC following up on their recent revel, is not much of a NETWORK. RAN's name is a shameful joke, and the organization is effectively dead as a leading force in the USA for rainforest protection. Your RAN membership pays for logging old-growth and primary forests, and all giving to them must end (they are out of my will as well). I am amazed at each organization's capacity to resist truthful ecological fact that ending ancient forest logging is necessary to save the climate and humanity. They are now speaking as if it is the 1990s and we have tons of time to save the climate and rainforests, and there is this really exciting new effort to sustainability log primary forests. FSC has failed. The idea of sustainably industrially logging ancient forests has failed. They must adapt, or lose the support financially and otherwise of the environmentally conscious public. The trends are clear - intact ancient rainforests will soon be gone - and RAN, GP and WWF are concerned with logging them a bit better so they are tree plantations rather than deforested (or so I am left to conclude as they refuse to provide detailed rationale). Given poverty, past and current trends, and the general lack of ecological understanding; of course it is difficult to end ancient forest logging. But it is a requirement for global ecological sustainability -- we try, succeed or die. After receiving some 10 million protest emails from virtually every country, none of the groups have responded substantively to our critique. They have stonewalled, vilified, gone off on tangents; but have not in detail refuted our analysis that green groups must unite in working to end ancient forest logging as a critical climate and ecological sustainability response, nor stated why they believe ancient forests being logged industrially for the first time is a public and environmental good. RAN, FSC and cronies had a chance to defend their position, they continue to hide, and now they will pay. EI will always speak truthfully based upon exhaustive learning and knowledge. We will always admit when we are wrong and will change, and we will remain committed to speaking and acting for what is required to save the Earth; not what is easy, token, and brings in donations. Taking a hard stand that ancient forests must be preserved, whatever the difficulties, is yielding on the ground rainforest protection success. And it critical for any chance Gaia and her humanity have for survival. Either you are committed to ending ancient forest logging or you are a major cause of the climate and other Earth crises. Please continue to support biocentric and sufficient Earth action committed to ending ancient rainforest logging at http://www.climateark.org/donate/ and cross RAN, GP and WWF off the giving list until they are able to admit they are wrong, change course, and embrace ecological truth. --- You are subscribed to ecological_internet as [EMAIL PROTECTED] Before unsubscribing, please consider modifying your list profile at: http://www.ecoearth.info/subscribe/[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or click here: http://email.ecoearth.info/u?id=84041H&n=T&c=F&l=ecological_internet To subscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or visit here: http://www.ecoearth.info/subscribe/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
