Hi Patrick - Your "F" grade to the report was anticipated, but does not take away from the report objectivity or lack thereof. To paste your own response to another message: "Your tirade makes me no wiser." I'm glad to see such a public report card; one clearly not bought and paid for by the timber industry or their governmental accomplices. I have not read it (nor I suspect have you), and can appreciate that it has its own slant, but that does not preclude its usefulness exposing additional facts or perspective in balancing industry rhetoric and unsubstantiated sound bites. I and many others do not mean to take anything away from the hard work folks have done nor the progress that has been made, not the potential value of wood as a truly renewable resource. What is frustrating for the public is the screaming and obfuscation practiced by the industry (and their representatives and cohorts) towards any improvements directed at sustainability of non-commodity values. It has been constant for 100 years. When progress is so painful and so slow, it is difficult at best to acknowledge such credit. Moving towards true and broad sustainability, and taking ownership for the problems and potential problems their practices cause, would gain industry a lot of points. Species extinctions (as you point out) are hardly a proper measure of success; how many are flourishing and not in decline is a better measure (and I don't mean species that are carefully chosen such as bear or deer). I for one would welcome such a change in the dialog: I believe we can have both the wood PLUS broad sustainability of non-commodity values; we don't have this today, but we can. Rather than justify how great things are today and that there are no problems, how about signing up for a broader vision? There is a steadily growing number of people, Patrick, who simply have higher and more complete standards than you and other industry folk, and they are not radicals as you describe. Survey after survey (see the USDA FS website to start and the many FS publications on recreation and public trends re the RPA) show this to be a mainstream event, not the wild radical fringe as you would believe. Just because the populace is becoming more aware of the unsustainability of industrial forestry and the importance of non-commodity forest values and that this understanding is at odds with your own and your sponsors should not trigger such an emotional outburst on your part! If your offer of a tour applies to me, I'll take you up on it some day soon. Tom Haswell 541-757-7608 > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-forest@listserv.funet.fi > [mailto:owner-forest@listserv.funet.fi]On Behalf Of Patrick Moore > Sent: Monday, June 08, 1998 11:25 PM > To: FOREST@listserv.funet.fi > Subject: Re: BC FORESTRY FAILING > > > > A Forestry Report Card was recently > >released by the British Columbian activists and the World Wildlife > >Fund giving a "F" grade to government and timber industry's forest > >practices. > > I hereby give an "F" grade to the reporting practices of the activists > responsible for this Public Relations stunt. The trees in British Columbia > are growing beautifully, and support the full compliment of biodiversity > that was in the older forests before them. What a sad day it is for the > conservation movement, that they must stoop to fakery and forgery in order > to promote their cause. Surely they would do better to stick to objective > fact, such as the fact that the bear population is growing in British > Columbia, and the fact that wood is the most renewable of all material > resources, and the fact that not one species has become extinct in British > Columbia due to forestry. > It is time for thinking people in the political center, who base their > opinions on science and logic, to take back the environmental movement from > the extremists who are using the rhetoric of environmentalism for > fundraising and hell-raising. > This is my "Call to Arms". Arm yourself against the misinformation, and give > credit to the years of hard and dedicated work by foresters, woodworkers, > and companies, to improve environmental performance in the forest. > I reject this "F" with all my heart and soul, because I know it is a great > injustice to thousands of people who are doing their very best every day to > make this earth a better place, and to continue providing all of us with > wood, our most renewable resource. > As I have said many times, "A world without forests is as unthinkable as a > day without wood, and its time that politicians, conservationists, teachers, > and the public got that balance right. Because we have to get it right if we > are going to achieve sustainability in the 21st century." > Come to BC and spend your tourist dollars seeing the beauty of this place > for yourselves. I will personally greet you and help you learn about our > wonderful province. > > Cheers > > Patrick Moore, Greenspirit > http://www.greenspirit.com > May the Forest be With You > > Snail Mail: > 4068 West 32nd Avenue > Vancouver, B.C. V6S 1Z6 > Canada >
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