Dot Earth Blog: Environmental Activism at its Best: Greenpeace's Push to Stop the Pulping of Rain Forests

There?s much about 20th-century-style environmentalism that doesn?t work in this era. Demonizing Big Coal or Big Oil in climate campaigns gives a pass to those of us filling up our gas tanks or relying on electricity at home.

But there are plenty of situations where in-your-face activism has a role. A case in point has been environmental campaigns against companies pressing into Asia?s last rain forest frontiers. A headline is sometimes enough to convey a big development, and that was the case earlier this week with this news release from Indonesia?s largest paper and pulp company: ?Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) Commits to an Immediate Halt to All Natural Forest Clearance.?

The list of bullet points was equally impressive, including:

? Suspension of natural forest clearance which applies to all suppliers
? Protection of all forests, including those on peatland
? Adoption of international best practice for rights of indigenous peoples and local communities
? Independent monitoring by NGOs

The move followed intensifying pressure from Greenpeace and other environmental groups, which had exposed destructive practices starting with a 2010 report, ?Pulping the Planet.?

A news story in The Times provides more background.

Greenpeace and its allies applied pressure in two ways: illuminating what was happening in forest refuges for Southeast Asia?s imperiled orangutans and tigers but also identifying which paper users ? brands as big as Xerox and Adidas ? were contributing to the destruction.

Here?s some past footage from the group showing the impact of the paper business on forests and the wildlife in harm?s way:

Now Greenpeace has sent a letter to the chief executive of Asia Pacific Resources International, the second biggest pulp producer in the region, seeking a similar commitment. I?ll report back if there?s a response.

The announced shift by Asian Pulp and Paper is great, although it?ll be vital to keep track on the ground, of course.

In parts of Southeast Asia, on-the-ground examination of industry practices can be dangerous work, whether done by local campaigners or journalists.

There?ve been times when I?ve decried Greenpeace tactics, as in the?destruction of a government-funded test of a genetically modified wheat variety?in Australia ?in 2011.

But in this case, I think the effort deserves a round of applause.

In a powerful song,?Bruce Cockburn once decried the 20th-century ?cut and move on? pattern of resource extraction, asking, ?If a tree falls in a forest, does anybody hear??

In the 21st century, thanks to those tracking and exposing forest practices, good or bad, the answer is almost always yes.

Here?s that tune:

Source: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/08/activism-at-its-best-greenpeaces-push-to-stop-the-pulping-of-rain-forests/?partner=rss&emc=rss

tom hardy British Open leaderboard Jessica Ghawi People Water Fred Willard Emmy nominations 2012 Ramadan 2012