Forest Action Network's National Day of Action against Home Depot!
5/26/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: FAN's National Day of Action against Home Depot!
Source: Forest Action Network
Box 625, Bella Coola, 'BC', V0T 1C0
ph: (250) 799-5800 fax: (250) 799-5830
email: fanbc@envirolink.org website: http://www.fanweb.org
Status: Distribute freely with credit to source
Date: May 26, 1999
Today's the day! Forest Action Network's National Day of Action
against Home Depot! In 10 cities across Canada, grassroots activists
are telling Home Depot that "enough is enough"! Check out our website
throughout the day for the latest news from each city...
http://www.fanweb.org
From Toronto....
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRIZZLY BEAR BROADCASTS MESSAGE OF ANCIENT RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION TO
HOME DEPOT
Home Depot Execs Urged to go "ancient forest free" at Atlanta AGM
(TORONTO, ON.) Wednesday, 26th May, 1999 - Today, an activist dressed
as a Grizzly Bear climbed to the rafters of Home Depot's St. Clair
store and, equipped with a megaphone, urged shoppers not to buy
products made >from the last of the world's ancient forests. The
action unfolded as shareholders of the world's largest home
improvement chain gathered in Atlanta for Home Depot's annual general
meeting. Outside the Toronto store, approximately 25 individuals from
the Forest Action Network and Greenpeace leafleted customers urging
them to use their purchasing power to help protect endangered
ecosystems such as the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia. Home
Depot continues to sell wood from companies clearcutting BC's
rainforest, including International Forest Products and Doman
Industries.
Since 1992, the Home Depot has made commitments to stop selling
products that come from endangered forest types, but has failed to
live up to their promises. As a result of Home Depot's refusal to
commit to phasing out ancient forests products, and to immediately
stop buying wood from logging companies that are clearcutting the
Great Bear Rainforest, the retail giant has become the target of
environmental pressure and protests across North America.
"We've come from British Columbia to inform shoppers that the Home
Depot continues to sell forest products from some of the last
remaining ancient forests in the world, including B.C.'s Great Bear
Rainforest," said Forest Action Network spokesperson Pat Venditti.
"Home Depot's management should stop promoting itself as a
environmentally-caring and compassionate corporation while it is
actively participating in the destruction of Grizzly Bear habitat.".
The protest at the Toronto store is one of ten protests across Canada
today organised by the Forest Action Network against Home Depot.
Meanwhile in Atlanta, Greenpeace and a coalition of US environmental
groups are at Home Depot's AGM to express their concerns to Home
Depot's senior management and shareholders. Some shareholders are
already trying to hold the Home Depot accountable for its failure to
help protect ancient forests, by bringing forward a resolution at the
meeting which would commit the home improvement chain to stop selling
products derived from ancient forests. Since over 90 per cent of Home
Depot's shares are held by large investment funds and financial
houses, the resolution is expected to be defeated. However, hundreds
of individuals with small blocks of shares are supporting the
resolution. It is estimated that support for the resolution is worth
an estimated $80-million in shares, indicating broad support at the
individual level for protecting areas such as the Great Bear
Rainforest.
"Increasingly people from across Canada and around the world are
saying they will not buy wood that comes from the world's last ancient
forests," said Tamara Stark of Greenpeace's forests campaign. "Many
other companies have already made a commitment to go "ancient-forest-
free" and Home Depot needs to show some leadership and stop buying
Great Bear Rainforest destruction."
According to the World Resources Institute, 80 per cent of the world's
ancient forests have either been completely cleared or are so severely
impacted by logging and other industrial activities that they can no
longer support the diversity of plant and animal species that the
originally maintained.