Don Gwillim
for CVAUK

Thanks and regards
Shara

perhaps 50% vegetarian by 2050, or is that too cautious …

sohail

Definitely pass it on. That is our hope in publishing the letter online. In fact pass it on to anyone you would like.

And we can definitely help by showing how our causes are linked. Animal agriculture worldwide and especially in Australia causes the majority of deforestation.

My name is lisa and I am part of a group called South East Forest Rescue.
South East Forest Rescue is an activist network dedicated to native forest
protection of the southern forests of Australia. Mainly targeting
protection of the NSW native forests between Nowra and the Victorian
border; and solidarity in action with all Northern NSW, Victorian and
Tasmanian forest defenders in a common goal – to END Native Forest
woodchipping and Native Forest logging.

Deforestation and illegal logging in Australia must be stopped. At
Copenhagen the practices of Forests NSW, Vic Forests and Forestry Tasmania
must be spotlighted. For too long the Forestry
Commission has placed itself above the law. The time has never been
better to hold it to account. Currently FNSW CO2 emissions on the South
Coast alone are over 61 000 000 tonnes every year. They are logging and
clearfelling rainforest, old growth and beautiful mixed aged forest with
impunity.
Australian native forests are being decimated at an ever increasing rate
to meet wood supply agreements for the woodchipmill – which is wholly
Japanese owned.

Brendan Mackey’s research indicates that is imperative to protect the
remnant native forest estate, having the mitigation potential of 24% of
Australia’s GHG emissions. Judith Ajani’s research suggests the
plantation estate can provide virtually all of Australia’s wood needs.
The IPCC identified that around 50% of the total mitigation potential of
GHGs could be reached by limiting emissions from deforestation. Given the
amount of emissions calculated it would seem that one way Australia could
easily limit it’s GHGs is by ending native forest deforestation.

The EIA report on illegal logging states that to effectively reduce
emissions from deforestation and degradation not only must there be good
satellite imagery but countries must seriously establish good forest
governance. This includes:
creating institutions that are transparent, accountable and inclusive:
[and] eliminate corruption and judicial impunity.

Until Australia and in particular NSW, Victoria and Tasmania remove the
civil litigation exemptions from legislation, use separate accounting
practices for native forest and plantation estates, conduct both pre and
post harvest audits, prepare environmental impact statements for the
compartments and discontinue clearfelling practices, the Forestry
Comission will continue to operate outside the law.

Australia is only now, slowly, coming in from the cold. After eleven
years of ridicule from international quarters the government has the
chance to gain international respect if the right decisions are made. The
governmental practice of decrying Indonesia’s illegal logging while
sanctioning illegal logging in Australia has not gone unnoticed by the
rest of the world. Thus it appears that the governmental sanctioning of
native forest logging endorses the huge amounts of GHG emissions released.

Will you help us? We ask that you call the Australian government to
account for the New South Wales, Victorian and Tasmanian native forest
destruction in Australia. Or whatever you think. Anything would be much
appreciated. If you need any
more information please get in contact

Yours
Lisa Stone
South East Forest Rescue
http://www.myspace.com/southeastforestrescue