Today, our consumption of vast quantities of timber is causing the remaining natural forests in many parts
of the world to be either completely destroyed or changed beyond recognition. The destruction of our forests
also threatens the survival of wildlife species and the livelihoods and homes of indigenous forest people.
Unfortunately, the threat to the world's forest does not just come from our demand from timber, in many
places oil exploration or development projects threaten to destroy many rare and beautiful habitats.
The UK is one of the least forested of all developed countries, yet is one of the world's largest consumers
of timber, using about 25 million cubic metres a year, including tropical hardwoods and timber from
temperate and boreal forest in North America, Scandinavia and Europe. Friends of the Earth believes trade,
aid and debt to be the main causes of forest destruction.
Consumer choice is a powerful way to promote responsible forest management and reduce pressure on the
world's forests. However, the claims of a sustainable source on wood products are often completely
groundless. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is running the first independent certification scheme
which aims to be much more credible; Friends of the Earth is a member of the FSC and monitors this scheme
closely.
Friends of the Earth is campaigning to :
. End mahogany imports to the UK from Brazil, where tremendous damage is caused to the rainforest
by mahogany logging;
. Prevent the logging of the remaining old growth forests in Scandinavia, the source of most of the
UK's pulp and timber;
. Make UK wood consumption sustainable by ensuring that our timber comes from well-managed
forests or is re-used.
Did you know?
. The demand for wood products is set to grow dramatically - by almost 60 per cent from 1990 levels
by the year 2010.
. On average, each person in the UK uses thirty times the volume of wood and paper products as
someone in India.
. The rate of loss of forest in the Brazilian Amazon doubled between 1994 and 1995. In 1995 29,059
km² of forest were lost - an area the size of Belgium. Although rates of deforestation dropped to
18161 km² in 1996, this is still an alarming increase since the early 1990's.
. Since Friends of the Earth's Mahogany Campaign started, imports have dropped by 68%.
What you can do
. Avoid using throw-away paper products like cups, plates, kitchen roll and nappies when you can find
reusable alternatives.
. Re-use paper wherever possible and encourage your office to reduce its paper consumption, using
simple paper-saving techniques such as recycling and reusing paper and envelopes, double-sided
photocopying and using electronic mail.
. Collect used paper for recycling at home and work.
. Buy recycled paper products.
. Recycle unwanted wood. If your local council does not have a wood recycling scheme, request that
it sets one up.
. Avoid buying tropical timber. Claims of sustainability are usually industry generated and not
independently certified.
. Join your local Friends of the Earth group and work locally to reduce paper and wood consumption.
Buy good wood
. If you're buying furniture, doors, replacement floorboards etc, try to buy secondhand, or a product
made from reclaimed wood. Friends of the Earth's Good Wood Guide gives advice on this.
. If new wood is the only option, make locally-produced wood endorsed by the Forest Stewardship
Council your first choice. If there's none available, ask for locally-produced wood, or buy FSC-
endorsed wood from overseas.
Further reading from Friends of the Earth:
Paper, Wood and the World's Forests T384 FREE booklet 148x129mm 16pp ISBN 1 85750 277 9
Out of the Woods: Reducing Wood Consumption to Save the World's Forests (briefing)
April 1996 L389 FREE briefing 298x210mm 6pp ISBN 1 85750 288 4
Forests and Climate Change.August 1997L430 FREE briefing A4 11pp
The Good Wood Guide December 1996 T392 £5.95 book 176x250mm 82pp ISBN 1857502930
Plunder for Profit: The UK and Brazilian Mahogany Trade By Richard Hering and Stuart Tanner
December 1997T429 £7.99 book A5 64pp ISBN 1 85750 316 3
Mahogany is Murder June 1992 L232 £4.00 book 210x150mm 38pp ISBN 1 85750 160 8
Scandinavian Forests and Forest Companies. L395 £2.50 report 298x210mm ISBN 1 85750 290 6
Crude Operator: The Environmental, Social and Cultural Effects of Texaco Oil Operations in the Tropical Forests of Ecuador June 1994 L315 £8.00 report 298x210mm 68pp ISBN 1 85750 232 9