Archived press release

Rupert murdoch ate my forest!...

12 February 1997

Friends of the Earth has written to 80,000 people this week appealing for help in saving the last wild woods in the European Union. Ancient forests in Sweden and Finland face destruction to satisfy the enormous demand for wood and paper. Friends of the Earth is urging people to switch to using recycled products, and to tell Scandinavian government's to spare their last remaining natural woodland.

Just 5 per cent of old, natural forest remains in Sweden and Finland. These ancient forests are home to a variety of animals and plants such as the flying squirrel, capercaillie and golden eagle. Many of these species cannot survive in the intensively-managed, man-made"factory forests" that have replaced the old forest, and already 1,700 woodland species are endangered in Sweden and 700 in Finland.

The UK is the fifth highest user of paper in the world, with 20 per cent of the total being used for newspapers. Although it is perfectly possible to print newspapers on 100 per cent recycled paper, around 60 per cent of newspaper is made from virgin fibre. Meanwhile,approximately 5 million tonnes of paper is thrown into the UK's landfill sites each year, and some councils are having difficulty selling the waste paper they have collected.

Dr Georgina Green of Friends of the Earth said:

"Cutting down these last wild woods is madness. By increasing recycling, we could not only take pressure off the world's forests and the country's landfill sites, we could decrease imports and create much needed jobs. Sectors like the newspaper industry should take a lead in creating demand for recycled paper - Friends of the Earth believes they should set a target to increase their recycled content to 80%".

Friends of the Earth is asking the public to write to the Swedish and Finnish governments, urging them to protect their old forest, and to support recycling of wood and paper.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Around 1.7 billion cubic metres of wood and paper products are used globally every year, and the figure is predicted to grow by almost 60 per cent by 2010.

[2] The pulp and paper industry is a net emitter of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Paper thrown in landfill sites releases methane when it rots, a gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in its effect on global climate change. Almost half the UK's methane emissions come from landfill sites. The EU wants to introduce a directive reducing the amount of organic waste disposed of in landfills, but the UK is blocking this measure.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust