\nGreenpeace Canada<\/a>, and our
\nallies, along with some of the biggest logging companies in the boreal forests
\nof Canada, announced
\nthe largest conservation initiative in history<\/a>. The stats are
\nmind-boggling: nearly 70 million acres of woodland caribou habitat, an area the
\nsize of Colorado, off limits to logging for three years, while 175 million
\nacres, an area the size of Texas, go into a comprehensive land-use planning
\nprocess. That’s a fancy term meaning a process that determines which areas must
\nbe permanently protected, and which areas can be logged in a selective and
\nsustainable manner.<\/p>\n
This matters for a lot more than just caribou. These forests are so
\nimmense that the clean air and pure water they produce keep millions of people
\nhealthy and provide tens of thousands of jobs. Beyond that, the 186
\nbillion tons of carbon stored in Canada’s boreal forests is equivalent to 27
\nyears’ worth of global carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
\n We need to keep as much of these forests standing as possible—for all
\nof us.<\/p>\n
We have a truce with the logging industry, but neither side of this agreement
\nmakes the final decisions here: that is up to First Nations governments and
\nprovincial governments in Canada. In other words, our truce is
\nsubservient to the aboriginal and provincial authorities that control the
\nactual land base. This is a key underpinning of the accord.<\/p>\n
How did we get to this point?<\/strong> \n<\/p>\n Many With half of Canada’s boreal forests being logged to make paper, and much of Canopy, for example, has led a quiet revolution in book, magazine, and All of this pressure—hundreds of millions of dollars of purchasing power—over the course of many years was aimed at creating a space for a real And still, even after this deal has been reached, we’re at the beginning, not Our work on this issue started in 2001. Without some of the largest So here I am, 15 years after signing up as one of Nader’s Raiders, and I am I know there will be challenges reaching our goals, and much of this depends Corporate power is still all too often used to benefit the few at the expense Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n Underground Green Economy Employing Millions<\/a><\/p>\n Canadian forestry firms agree to curb boreal forest logging<\/a><\/p>\n Reduce, Recycle, and Replant – Data Highlights on Restoring the World’s Forests<\/a><\/p>\n
\nplayers have toiled away for many years to research the science, create the
\nfunding, and support seemingly endless negotiations that were often held
\ntogether by just a thread. Our part in creating this historic initiative
\nhas been bringing the power of the U.S. marketplace to the table. And we’ve
\ndone that side-by-side with Canopy and Greenpeace Canada.<\/p>\n
\nthat going to feed the U.S.‘s insatiable demand, pressuring big paper consumers
\nlike Victoria’s Secret, Scholastic, and Kimberly-Clark to steer clear of the
\nboreal and demand greener options was critical. In fact, that pressure was one of the primary drivers of
\nthis agreement.<\/p>\n
\nnewspaper publishing by greening some of the largest-selling publishers and
\ntitles in the world, including the Harry Potter juggernaut. Greenpeace Canada
\nwaged a hard-hitting campaign against Kimberly-Clark for using old growth
\nboreal trees to make toilet paper—and more importantly, they both forged a
\nsolution to their conflict with a better balance between environmental and
\nfinancial matters. At ForestEthics, we have been working not only to
\nshift Victoria Secret’s massive paper purchases away from boreal caribou
\nhabitat, but also doing the same with some of the largest buyers of paper in
\nthe world: Staples, Office Depot, FedEx Office, and literally dozens of other
\nFortune 500 companies. <\/p>\n
\nnegotiation. And two years ago it started: The leader of the Forest Products
\nAssociation of Canada basically asked then ForestEthics Campaign Director
\nTzeporah Berman what it would take for the market pressure to go away.
\n Our reply: A lot. So it began.<\/p>\n
\nthe end. The boreal is not “saved,” but there is a framework in place that may
\njust succeed in protecting some of the most critical areas of this globally
\nimportant forest. While outreach began with First Nations and provincial
\ngovernments months ago, a lot of work is needed to collaborate on land-use
\ndecisions for this agreement to move forward.<\/p>\n
\ncompanies in the world lending their purchasing power toward a greener
\ndirection for the boreal, we would not be here today. Quite a few of
\nthese companies had to be pressured into moving more quickly—but to their
\ncredit, they were able to move past their conflicts with activist groups toward
\nreal collaboration. And many more companies wanted to be part of
\nthis change from the beginning, and used their market power to great effect.
\n <\/p>\n
\nstill swimming in a sea of corporate power. I have come to better
\nunderstand the people at these companies. It shouldn’t have been a
\nshocking discovery, but I learned that we share some key core values. I
\ndidn’t believe that back in 1995. <\/p>\n
\nupon decisions that will ultimately be made by aboriginal and provincial
\ngovernments. And the pressure from big paper-buying companies wanting green
\nproducts that helped get us to this point will be even more essential to
\ngetting this deal done. <\/p>\n
\nof the rest of us. But it is nice to know that at times it can be applied
\ntoward the greater good.\n<\/p>\n
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