Tree-top-living environmental activist comes down to earth After living in an ancient redwood tree for two years, environmental activist Julia Hill came down to Earth again. She had perched there to protect the tree but ended her protest after reaching an agreement with her nemesis, the Pacific Lumber Company. Julia Hill descended from her bed-sized perch 60 metres above the ground for the news conference. She promptly bursts into tears as soon as she touched the ground, hugging her supporters, including her father. She said:"I understand that all of us are governed by different values and I understand that to some people, I'm just a dirty, tree-hugging hippy. But I just can't imagine being able to take a chainsaw to something like this". Since she began her anti-logging "tree-sit" on Dec 10, 1997, the 25-year-old has braved El Nino storms and the taunts of lumberjacks while living atop a tree she called Luna. She said:"There's a whole list of hard things. There was them placing me under seige and shining floodlights up into the tree and blowing airhorns all night so I couldn't sleep, trying to cut off my supplies and starve me down." Details of the agreement between Ms Hill and the Pacific Lumber Company were not disclosed. However, her spokesman Paul Bassis said the deal provided permanent protection for Luna, and a surrounding 60-metre zone from logging. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/articles/1999/12/20/world15849.htm
