Firms must take initiative in saving trees
Copyright 2000 The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo)
December 13, 2000
By Masaharu Asaba C a senior editor of The Yomiuri Shimbun ; Yomiuri
Gardening, growing flowering plants and living in a log cabin surrounded by the smell of wood is a city-dweller's dream. What is surprising, however, is that this is contributing toward the destruction of Canada's virgin temperate forests.
Virgin forests in areas along the west coast of Canada, a country known for its forests, are thinning, and the reddish-brown surface of the ground has become exposed. Environmental conservation groups are becoming increasingly critical of the situation. As Japan is the world's second-biggest importer of timber, it cannot remain indifferent to problems occurring in timber-producing nations.
Photographer Takeshi Mizukoshi, a winner of the Ken Domon photography prize, has over the past 30 years taken pictures of virgin forests deep in the mountains. In August last year, he went to Canada's west coast to do research in preparation for taking photographs there. He said the sight of forests cut down as far as the eye could see left him so shocked that he could barely breathe.
"What I saw was truly far worse than what I had heard. This method of completely felling the timber is worse than in developing countries," Mizukoshi said angrily. Despite having spent 10 years photographing tropical forests in Southeast Asia, he said he had seen nothing more incredible than what he saw in Canada.
Most unprocessed Canadian timber is exported to Japan. "Do Japanese people bury the timber in their gardens and try to make a profit by selling it when the prices rise?" a Canadian said.
Mizukoshi was shocked. "I thought it was a great pity that this was the way in which the Japanese were regarded," he said. "I want to capture the beauty of virgin forests. But as well, by taking photographs of terrible deforestation scenes, I want to appeal to people to conserve the forests."
Canada's temperate forests are among the largest virgin forests left in the world. They have grown over a period of 10,000 years since the Ice Age. Ancient trees such as Western red cedars, Oregon pines and silver fir have grown to a height of 100 meters--as tall as a 30-story building.
However, two-thirds of British Columbia's virgin forests have been destroyed. Mud has sunk to the bottom of rivers, and insects have disappeared because the water temperature has risen due to the heat of the sun. The population of salmon, which eat the insects, has rapidly decreased.
The world's forests can absorb an annual 50 million tons of carbon dioxide--one of the causes of global warming--and store it as carbon compounds. The forests form the climate of their surroundings, nourish sources of water and are indispensible as a treasure-house of biological diversity.
The Washington-based World Resources Institute and nongovernmental organizations warn that if nothing is done, virgin forests will disappear completely in several decades.
According to the fiscal 1999 Forestry White Paper, Japan imported 11.69 million cubic meters of logs, sawn wood and timber from Canada that year for paper and pulp. Other data show that imports of wooden window frames, doors, wooden crafts, furniture and gardening tools from Canada have rapidly increased since 1992, totaling 113,000 tons in 1999.
Greenpeace Japan, based in Tokyo, last year conducted a questionnaire covering 119 Japanese companies that are believed to have been importing timber from three major Canadian timber companies. Of the 69 firms that responded, 22 companies--trading companies, do-it-yourself firms, paper manufacturers and textile companies--dealt either directly or indirectly with the Canadian firms. However, 14 major companies among those 22 said they had decided to stop that aspect of their businesses immediately, or intended to stop it, when they heard that Canada's virgin forests are being destroyed.
Japanese companies "do not make promises they cannot keep," a Greenpeace official said. "Other manufacturers also seem to be changing direction. The more you know, the better you can get on with your work," he said.
While Europe used to import as much timber from Canada as Japan does, it began to boycott Canadian timber in about 1995. The amount of Canadian timber it now imports has dropped to one-tenth of the peak amount.
A growing number of Japanese firms are adopting ISO14000, an international environmental standard. They "buy green," or choose raw materials that place less of a burden on the environment. There is nothing odd about companies boycotting Canadian timber because of their environmental policies.
Blinkered businesses will not last long. When it becomes apparent that something is wrong, it is best to change tack as quickly as possible. But it may be too late, nonetheless, to save the dying Earth.
(Asaba is a senior editor of The Yomiuri Shimbun.)