Would greatly appreciate assistance getting this to French media in particular...
EI PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE French President Sarkozys Dangerous Deforestation Doublespeak - Pledges to work to end deforestation as French company prepares to ship illegal logs from Madagascar March 15, 2010 >From Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet (EI) http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/ You can still TAKE ACTION on this matter at: http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=madagascar_landgrab (Paris, France) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy last week said rich nations must do more to help fight deforestation, as he hosted a Paris conference on saving the world's forests. Sarkozy stated defending the world's forests demanded more aggressive funding. "Those who don't want to do anything are those who don't want to pay," he said in an opening address. He reiterated his appeal for a tax on financial market transactions worldwide that could be earmarked for a global climate fund. These are good ideas, yet President Sarkozy is guilty of dangerous hypocrisy as a French company continues to threaten Madagascars rainforests. As Sarkozy argued the need to stop deforestation, shipments of illegal rosewood are being readied for export in Madagascar by a French company with the tacit approval of the French government. Some 4,000-5,000 tons of rosewood will be shipped under the auspices of Delmas, according to Derek Schuurman, who has published papers on the illegal logging crisis for the Madagascar Conservation Journal and TRAFFIC. "An estimated 200-270 containers are likely to be exported in March," says Schuurman. The French and mainstream media worldwide has largely been silent on the crisis even though it threatens Madagascar's rainforest, people, and wildlife. Ecological Internets global network has already delayed, though not permanently stopped, these illegal rosewood shipments[1]. The logging crisis began in March of 2009 when destabilization following a government coup allowed loggers to enter several of Madagascar's world-renowned parks and illegally log rosewood and other valuable trees. Tens of thousands of hectares were logged in Madagascar's most biodiverse rainforests, which also sparked a rise in bushmeat trafficking of lemurs. Since the coup, donor nations have drastically cut their aid to Madagascar. The transitional government has turned to the illegal trade in rosewood from its national parks to retain its grip on power. The shipment is expected to leave the port of Vohemar in Madagascar on March 16-17th. Schuurman says that the ship is likely bound for China, which does not have regulations like Europe and the US against trading in illegally logged woods. While we hail growing realization regarding the importance of old forests, and the number of initiatives to protect forests, very few seek to end the industrial development including industrial 1st time primary forest logging which is not only deforesting and diminishing these forests, but is also causing damage to climate, biodiversity and the biosphere, says EI President Dr. Glen Barry. We are deeply disappointed in all groups and countries proposing sustainable forest management of primary forests as a remedy to the climate and biodiversity crises. By definition, primary forests logged for the first time are destroyed. This is almost as bad as the Rainforest Action Network ongoing greenwashing of primary forest logging in an area two times the size of Texas.[2] [1] Action Alert: Protest Madagascar's Legalization of Rosewood Log Export from National Parks http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=madagascar_landgrab [2] Action Alert: Let Rainforest Action Network Know Global Ecological Sustainability Depends Upon Ending Old Forest Logging http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=ran_ancient_forest_logging More Information at Mongabay which has broken and continues to cover the story: http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0313-hance_mad.html DISCUSS RELEASE: http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/ --- Please support Ecological Internet to protect and restore old forests at http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/donate/ You are subscribed to ecological_internet as [email protected]. Before unsubscribing, please consider modifying your list profile at: http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/subscribe/[email protected] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [email protected] Or click here: http://email.ecoearth.info:81/u?id=84041H&n=T&c=F&l=ecological_internet To subscribe visit: http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/subscribe/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
