forests

Greenpeace has asked Tony Blair today (27/08/02) to not bother making a speech at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) unless his address shows world leadership and commits the UK to real action. The summit starts this week in Johannesburg, South Africa. Greenpeace has identified two obvious examples where earlier Blair rhetoric has been discredited by official sloth and offered a checklist of four concrete achievements that the Prime Minister could instead deliver within the next two weeks.

On Wednesday 17th April at 6pm in the Congress Hall, the Environment Minister, Michael Meacher will meet a delegation of Greenpeace activists to discuss the role of the UK in protecting the world's remaining ancient forests. 

At 9am this morning five Greenpeace volunteers ended their occupation of the MV Roxane Dolmas after an injunction against them was obtained by the shipping company Dolmas Shipping Line. The volunteers had been attempting to prevent the boat unloading wood from Africa's last remaining rainforests. The occupation ended the day before the ministerial meeting of the "Ancient Forest Summit" (Conference on Biological Diversity in The Hague).

No arrests have so far been made.

Greenpeace is urging ministers to agree measures at the Ancient Forest Summit to end the international trade in illegally and destructively logged wood from ancient forests.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255

At 11am today, five Greenpeace climbers boarded the MV Roxane Delmas to stop wood from Central Africa's threatened "great ape" rainforest coming into the UK. The climbers have attached themselves to the stern door of the ship in the Thames Estuary, north of Sheerness, to prevent it from unloading its cargo at London's Tilbury Docks. 

Greenpeace is demanding that this timber, from the destruction of one of the world's remaining ancient forests, is returned to Cameroon. Investigations by Greenpeace indicate that the timber on board this ship includes sapele, identical to that used in the doors and windows at the Government's Cabinet Office in Whitehall (1). Other rainforest timber from the region is also onboard.

Thousands of people join with Greenpeace to produce giant art installation for Blair telling him to help protect the world's remaining ancient forests

Today, Greenpeace along with a delegation of individuals from the fashion, club, DJ and arts world have taken part in a procession delivering a postcard-petition sculpture to Tony Blair at No 10 Downing Street.