Giant Bear Protests Outside Canadian High Commission in London
6/25/97
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Jun 26, 1997 by nobody@xs2.greenpeace.org in igc:gp.press
Subject: Giant Bear Protests Outside Canadian High Commission in UK
GIANT BEAR PROTESTS OUTSIDE CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION IN LONDON
UK, June 25, 1997 - An angry twenty foot grizzly bear and some
20 smaller bears turned up outside the Canadian High
Commission in London, this morning, demanding that their
rainforest habitat be protected.
The visit, organised by Greenpeace, occurs on the day after
the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien spoke at Earth
Summit 2 in New York. Chretien, who permits vast swathes of
Canada's last remaining rainforests to be clearcut, called on
the Summit for a `business as usual' approach to the world's
forests. The Canadian rainforests provide countries, including
the UK, with the raw materials for products such as garden
furniture, newspapers and magazines.
The grizzly bear is one of several bear species which thrive
in the temperate rainforests of British Columbia, along the
western coast of Canada. Although the Canadian rainforests
support a biodiversity of species greater than any other
forest on earth, Canada has only protected 6% of these areas.
What has been protected is largely rock and ice.
Half of the world's temperate rain forests have already been
destroyed. If the current Canadian programme is allowed to
continue unchecked, every remaining intact rainforest valley
in British Columbia will be fragmented within a decade.
Greenpeace forest campaigner Tim Birch said, "It is a sad
indictment that five years after the Earth Summit one of the
richest countries in the world is unable to protect the
world's largest remaining temperate rainforest. If the richest
countries can't protect their forests, what hope is there for
the rest of the world."
Clearcutting is an industrial logging practice in which every
tree in a large area is cut down and almost all of the
forest's biomass is removed. A single clearcutting exercise
can cover over 100 hectares (about the size of 100 football
pitches). It is largely done to fulfil important export
markets to Europe, the US and Japan. Britain imports products
from each of the four main companies responsible for ravaging
the rainforests of Canada; MacMillan Bloedel, Interfor, Doman
and Avenor.
Greenpeace is calling on world leaders at the Earth Summit 2
for a ban on logging in any of the remaining pristine
rainforest valleys, for no new roads to be built in the
rainforest and for an immediate end to clearcutting.
Yesterday, 25 activists were arrested in British Columbia
following protests in the Great Bear Rainforest. Activists
from Europe, including the UK, face possible deportation
orders later today.
For further information please contact the Greenpeace Press
Office on 0171-865 8255/6/7/8 or 0171-359 4837