Demonstration against Australian logging in Tasmania

There are demonstrations today and yesterday in many cities around the world, protesting against Australian logging company Gunns. Rainforest Action Network explains:

GUNNS clear-cuts and then firebombs the equivalent of 44 football fields per day of some of the most unique and ancient old-growth forests on Earth. These include the giant Eucalyptus (the world’s tallest hardwood tree) and areas with documented World Heritage value. GUNNS engages in some of the world’s worst logging practices and turns over 90% of the forests it destroys into woodchips that largely become disposable paper products.

In December 2004 Australia’s biggest logging company GUNNS Ltd effectively declared war on the environment movement by suing 20 people and organizations for actions to protect the old growth forests of Tasmania. The targets of the massive law suit included two members of parliament (Senator Bob Brown, and local Tasmanian MP Peg Putt), one of Australia’s major environment groups (The Wilderness Society), a doctors’ environment group, a local community group, and a range of ordinary individuals including a dentist, a film-maker, grandmother, a doctor, and a couple of students.

Gunns is not a well known company, in spite of its size. However, Gunns' largest customers are Japanese paper companies Nippon, Oji, and Daio. I participated in the Tokyo demonstration outside the Australian Embassy. I have met Peg once in Brussels, I was really upset to see her name on the list above. Please help if you have a moment, you can protest online on the Trees not Gunns website.

Update: Mitsubishi Paper Mills has decided to stop buying woodchips derived from Tasmanian old-growth forests. Good!