News
Pressemitteilung
No Giant Trees to Wood Chips
ROBIN WOOD protest against the logging of forests in Tasmania at the Australian embassy
Members of the environmental organization ROBIN WOOD today protested against the destruction of the primeval forest of Tasmania at the Australian embassy in Berlin. The environmental activists, costumed as trees and kangaroos, placed a banner in front of the embassy, reading “Protect Tasmania's unique forests”. A letter of protest to the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was handed over, signed by about 6 500 concerned citizens over the last two months. Nine other German environmental organizations (see below) support the ROBIN WOOD initiative and demand an extensive protection of he primeval forests of Tasmania.
The natural forests of the Tasmanian island in the South of Australia are unique in several ways: They contain numerous species of trees, which occur exclusively on Tasmania. The Giant Eucalyptus is growing there, with more than 100 meters height of the largest broad leaf tree species in the world. The biggest area of non-tropical rainforest in the southern hemisphere can be found in north-western Tasmania. These forests retain considerably more carbon than most forests of the tropical and moderate zones.
Despite this uniqueness many of these forests are not protected, and already large parts are destroyed. In the last few decades many have been transformed to mono-cultural pine- or eucalyptus-plantations. There are still well over 1,000,000 hectares of unprotected native forest. They are in danger of being cut down and processed to wood chips for the paper- and energy- industry.
ROBIN WOOD, together with German and Australian environmental organizations like the Wilderness Society demand, that the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recognizes the world-wide significance of these unique forests in this most southern Australian state and places them under thorough protection.
Rudolf Fenner, forest campaigner with ROBIN WOOD, states: “We demand Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: Save the Tasmanian unique forests! In the Year of Biodiversity and in the face of the failure of the World Climate Conference, this would be a major step for the credibility of the Australian climate and environmental policy.”
Contact:
Rudolf Fenner, Forest Campaigner, tel.: + 49.40.380892.11, wald@robinwood.de
Ute Bertrand, Press Officer, tel.: + 49.40.380 892.22, presse(at)robinwood.de
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NGO-Letter and the letter signed by concerned citizens see: http://www.robinwood.de/Schutz-fuer-Tasmaniens-Urwaelder.373.0.html
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The following German Environmental Organizations support the demand of protection of the primeval forests of Tasmania:
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Regenwald und Artenschutz (ARA), Bergwaldprojekt, Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND), German Nature and Biodiversity Conservations Union (NABU), Pro Regenwald, Pro Wildlife, Rettet den Regenwald, ROBIN WOOD, urgewald, Young Friends of the Earth Germany
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Protest-Letter to Kevin Rudd (pdf, 250 kB)
