PRESS RELEASE Ocean City, New Jersey Cancels Order for Rainforest Destruction to Fix Their Boardwalk
Victory for those working to end ancient rainforest logging, and a defeat for supporters of forest certification greenwashing, as an important precedent is set January 18, 2008 By Ecological Internet, Contact: Dr. Glen Barry, +1 (920) 776- 1075, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Ocean City, New Jersey) -- The city council of Ocean City voted last night 6-0 to cancel a $1.1 million purchase of ipê timber originating in ancient rainforests. The timber was to be used to patch a one block stretch of Atlantic boardwalk. The purchase provoked outrage as it went against a ten-year old pledge by the council to not use rainforest timbers. The mayor and others argued Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification ensured sustainability. Estimates are over 60% of FSC timber comes from first time logging of ancient forests, with claims only it is "well-managed". Such misleading statements setup a showdown with local group "Friends of the Rain Forest" and led them to a year of protest with support from Ecological Internet (EI) and others. "EI's network sent over 100,000 protest emails from 80 countries highlighting the ecological truth that maintaining intact primary rainforests is a requirement to address climate change and achieve global ecological sustainability," explains Dr. Glen Barry. "The message is getting through -- to survive rainforest logging must end, with compensation to local peoples, and remaining rainforests protected and allowed to expand." In recent weeks EI has significantly participated in rainforest victories from New York, to Papua New Guinea, and now New Jersey -- working successfully to end the evil of ancient rainforest logging. Dr. Barry notes "it is disappointing that Rainforest Alliance, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, WWF and other FSC supporters -- despite being targeted by this campaign -- were either on the other side of this debate or chose not to comment. Their greenwashing of ancient forest logging must end." ###ENDS### The original alert can be found at: http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=jersey_boardwalk --- 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]
