Greens Strike Back at Logging Industry Lies
The crap hit the fan on logging industry greenwash over the holidays and we’re tickled pink they got caught red-handed.
Friends of RAN filed challenges in two states last month against environmental claims made by Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek Timber under the industry-based Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
The two complaints show how loggers used the forest industry’s green-labeling program as a cover while violating federal laws protecting endangered spotted owls in Washington and limiting environmental impacts in Maine.
We’re tickled because the timing is perfect. Loggers are three years into a coordinated strategy to attempt to dismantle the explosive influence of Green Building on North American wood markets.
If they win, the loggers will convince the US Green Building Council to reward SFI-certified wood products under it’s LEED standard for new home construction. If they get their way, nearly all wood products manufactured in North America get the green stamp. Under this scenario, the loggers keep on logging like they’ve always done, and new LEED-Certified homes get built out of Spotted Owl habitat.
If they lose, the LEED standard stays strong and rewards only those wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Under this scenario, only the most ecologically and socially responsible of North America’s logging industry get access, and the rest have a new incentive stop killing endangered birds.
The complaints are the first major appeals under the SFI program since it ostensibly split from the American Forest and Paper Association in a move to appear more credible. Under the new rules of the SFI, companies have 45 days to respond to the complaints. Unfortunately, the rules don’t specify whether anybody outside of the program actually gets to look at the company’s response.
It’s a catch 22 that we’re looking forward to next month: if nobody sees the response from Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek, there’s no transparency in the system; but if the responses are released, they show that the SFI certifies law breakers. Either way, it’s a huge credibility problem.
Check out more on the issue and read updates at DontBuySFI.com.
11 Responses to “Greens Strike Back at Logging Industry Lies”
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January 11th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I am sick of these companies who will try anything for their damn GREED—-stop these pigs NOW!
January 11th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
We want and expect REAL susrainable forestry, not more “greenwashing”
January 11th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Very well done. I will lend financial support when my business takes off.
January 12th, 2007 at 1:27 am
Stop cuting down our future generations’ heritage.
January 13th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
The Forestry Industry is fighting [but failing in its efforts,] to justify and or attempt to be legal in their quest to kill our futures, kill our wildlife and our heritage.
January 13th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Keep up the good work
Integrity before profits
January 14th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Thank God and all the heavens. There must be living room to breath. Please, continue the good God sent work.
January 16th, 2007 at 3:39 am
Wouldn’t it be a good manufacturing and marketing move for these industries to become more involved in recycling rather than continuing to cut down trees? Wouldn’t it be more cost effective and produce their end product faster?
Perhaps we should ask Congress to make recycling mandatory, a federal law to recycle a certain percentage of each state’s waste. Much like the commitment from several states to reduce their emissions in compliance of the Kyoto Protocol. These issues need to be addressed on a Federal level since they affect all of us. Cutting trees down helps excelerate global warming and that is a moral and economic issue as well as a huge environmental and health issue!
It’s all connected and needs to be seriously addressed!
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Ongoing destructive logging contributes to global warming. As you know, we have experienced the negative impacts of global warming. It caused unusual weather changes that cost the lives of thousands of people and animals. Those that survived the disasters including animals were left stranded and homeless. We also must stop this logging practice because it threatens all the wildlife that live in these trees. Without any trees to provide for their habitat, the danger of becoming extinct is imminient. We should concentrate on our efforts to recycle and stop the destructive logging practices.
January 23rd, 2007 at 8:44 am
Looks like a ‘checkmate’ to me
March 10th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
All it will take is a warming of 8 degrees before we can no longer reverse the damage to this planet. I hope loggers are comfortable with leaving their kids and grandkids to deal with the aftermath of what they have helped to destroy.