Feature story - 7 February, 2007
If you buy or sell pirate DVDs you would be breaking the law. You could face a fine or even get jail time. But when companies in Europe buy or sell illegal timber from the last of the world's ancient forests they won't even have the timber confiscated.
Illegally logged rainforest timber was used in the refurbishment of the Admiralty Arch wing of the Cabinet Office in London.
So even though you can't watch a pirate copy of the latest
Stephen King horror movie, the real horror is happening all around
you as mountains of illegal and destructively logged timber flood
onto the world's timber market.
Take Action
That's because there are no laws to stop illegal timber or
timber products from ending up in your local stores or home.
Everything from paper products to furniture or plywood could be
made from illegal and destructively logged timber. When you
purchase these products it could result in the loss of habitat and
death for many unique and endangered species as well as
contributing to a chain of human rights violations in forests
around the world.
Europe plays a key role in fuelling demand for timber products,
as it is one of the world's largest users of timber. But Europe has
no law to stop the flood of illegal and destructively logged timber
entering the market.
We want to see that change.
We want laws to ban illegal and destructively logged timber from
being sold in Europe and so do more than 160 other environmental, labour, and human
rights organisations. 80 companies have also asked for legislation
to outlaw illegal timber. You too have the right to say that things
must change.
How to help - it's painless!
The European Commission is asking what the public, timber
industry and politicians think about the best way to stop the flood
of illegal and destructive timber that pours into Europe each day.
So we've made it nice and easy for you to tell them, 'Ban illegal timber
'.
Simply send the letter below before 5 March 2007
The official questionnaire is here, but beware,
beaurocratic technobabble lurks behind that click!
You can find more information on Europe's role in fuelling
illegal and destructive logging by clicking here.