Major New Home Builders Campaign Unveiled

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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org

http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Archives

http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest Conservation

1/17/00

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

Rainforest Action Network, fresh from a remarkable string of

victories, has launched a rainforest conservation campaign that seeks

to engage the home construction industry. It is contended that this

industry uses more old growth lumber than any other. Following is

their initial press release in this regard. It is not certain how the

protest went, but I would expect to hear lots more on this important,

groundbreaking campaign. It is critical that over-consumptive

nations, the U.S. in particular, come to terms with their complicity,

and ultimate responsibility, for ancient forest destruction caused by

their consumption of old-growth forest products. More information on

this campaign can be found at RAN's Old Growth Campaign site at:

http://www.ran.org/ran/ran_campaigns/old_growth/index.html

RAN is on the mark again.

g.b.

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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

Title: CAMPAIGN TO SAVE ANCIENT FORESTS

TO FOCUS ON HOME BUILDERS

FOREST PROTECTION LEADERS TO SWARM DALLAS CONVENTION,

PUT INDUSTRY ON NOTICE: NO OLD GROWTH WOOD IN NEW HOMES!

Source: Rainforest Action Network

Press contacts - Mark Westlund

221 Pine Street #500

San Francisco, CA 94014

Telephone: 415/398-4404 #317

fax: 415/398-2732

Website: http://www.ran.org

Date: January 14, 2000

WHAT:

Building upon its success in getting Home Depot to phase out of old

growth wood, Rainforest Action Network is moving its attention to home

builders, now the industry using more old growth wood than any other.

At the National Association of Home Builders convention in Dallas,

during the keynote speech by Newt Gingrich, rainforest activists will

confront attendees with a spirited protest, and a giant inflatable

chainsaw suitable in size for NY's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

WHERE:

Reunion Arena, Dallas

WHEN:

Friday, January 14 - 10:30 AM

WHY:

Less than four per cent of the United State's original ancient forests

are still standing. Worldwide, logging and other causes of

deforestation have brought all but twenty percent to the brink of

extinction. In this day and age it is no longer appropriate to build

houses out of the world's last ancient trees, some as old as 2,000

years.

DALLAS, Texas - Now that Home Depot and other large home improvement

centers have agreed to stop selling wood from endangered old growth

forests, Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is turning its attention to

the home construction industry, currently the industry using more old

growth lumber than any other. Forest protection leaders are

converging on the National Association of Home Builders convention to

put the industry on notice that building homes from old growth wood is

not acceptable.

"Building homes from old growth wood," asserts RAN Old Growth Campaign

Director Michael Brune, "is as outmoded as killing elephants for

ivory, or making ashtrays out of gorilla paws. We are going to do

everything within our power to make sure that the home construction

industry takes note of this issue, and stops using old growth wood."

For the past two years RAN led an international campaign urging Home

Depot to stop selling old growth wood. RAN has staged high-profile

demonstrations at company headquarters, including hanging a giant

banner there in October 1998 with the words: "Home Depot, Stop Selling

Old Growth Wood." RAN also worked with major institutional

shareholders, fought Home Depot expansion plans at local city council

meetings, coordinated a hard-hitting national ad campaign, and

organized demonstrations at over 500 Home Depot stores across the U.S.

and Canada.

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