MEDIA RELEASE 01.09.09
NATIONAL AND GLOBAL CALLS FOR TASMANIA’S FORESTS, WORLD HERITAGE NOT WOODCHIPS.
Conservationists around the nation and globe are protesting today against the continuing logging and the wood chipping of world heritage valued old growth forests of Tasmania.
Banners reading “TASMANIA’S ANCIENT FORESTS, WORLD HERITAGE NOT WOODCHIPS” and “THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING” are being displayed across the country.
In Hobart 4 activists are displaying this message hanging from ropes off the roof of Parliament house.
In Melbourne the message has been painted onto silos on Lanridge St. in Collingwood.
In Canberra, the message is being displayed on banners unfurled from the roof of Federal Parliament house.
In Adelaide a banner displaying the message is hanging from buildings in the CBD.
In Newcastle conservationists have constructed an 84 metre tree. Only trees greater than 84 metres qualify for protection as “giants”. Ancient trees that do not reach the 84 metre marked are felled and wood chipped.
Actions across the nation today are supported by international actions in Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy and other solidarity actions are expected to roll on throughout the day.
“The Federal and Tasmanian State Governments are continuing well into the 21st century to decimate the very last unprotected areas of world heritage bordered old growth forest. These last stands of old growth have been deliberately left out of the World Heritage Area to facilitate their destruction.” Said spokesperson Ed Hill.
“Despite a unanimous IUCN (International Union for Conservation and Nature) decision of 21 countries to extend existing world heritage borders to include ancient forests located in the Upper Florentine, Styx, Lower Weld Valley and Middle Huon, These forests are currently subject to industrial scale clear felling.” Said spokesperson Ed Hill.
“The nation wants an end to the environmental madness that is taking place in Tasmania’s forests. The outright vandalism of old growth forests is a climate disaster that is happening right now.” Said Mr Hill.
“ A recent report* by Professor Brendan Mackey and Australian ANU scientists states Tasmania’s temperate old growth forests store far more carbon then was previously thought. The study found that temperate forests store more carbon than tropical forests and that Tasmania’s ancient forests are some of the most carbon rich forests in the world.”
“The protection of Tasmania’s ancient forests is a simple and effective strategy to help reduce the effects of catastrophic climate change and needs to be seriously considered by State and Federal Governments. The science on forests and climate change is loud and clear yet the Federal Government continues to twiddle their thumbs in the face of dangerous climate change as old growth forests are cleared daily.” Said Mr Hill.