illegal timber

Yesterday we occupied Admiralty Arch where the government is using illegally logged plywood from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea as hoardings around the building. Fourteen protestors sat on top of the Arch, demanding Tony Blair own up and commit to legislation banning imports of illegal timber into the UK.

Stop us if you've heard this one before, but the government has been caught with illegal timber on one of its own building sites. Sounds familiar? It should, because this is the third time it's happened in four years. If it wasn't so serious, it would be funny.

Whatever you may think of his political credentials, as Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has been pushing to make the metropolis a greener city. His plans for a low-energy London have shown just how far behind central government are in terms of planning for a sustainable future, and the Greater London Authority (GLA) ensures that all timber used in their building projects is from sources approved by the Forest Stewardship Council.

In a verdict that will have far reaching implications for the international timber trade, a judge in The Hague has found a former timber trader and arms dealer guilty of breaking the UN arms embargo in Liberia and sentenced him to a maximum of eight years in prison.

Deep in the forests of Papua New Guinea, part of the Paradise Forests that stretch across South East Asia, Greenpeace has established a Global Forest Rescue Station. It's purpose: to help the clans and tribes of the region to mark out their lands which are theirs by law but are at risk from the unscrupulous activities of logging companies.

Now in its third year, the Greenpeace Garden Furniture campaign has been shaking up retailers and manufacturers alike and resulted in sweeping changes to the industry.