Yesterday we once again took action against Fonterra's climate crimes - this time painting the message Fonterra Climate Crime on a ship carrying palm kernel animal feed in the Port of Taranaki. The feed is destined for Fonterra dairy herds. Its next stop is Tauranga and we will meet it there.
Fonterra's use of palm kernel animal feed has been implicated in the destruction of Indonesia and Malaysia's rainforests for palm plantations. Rainforest clearance is one of the worst contributors to climate change and it destroys the last remaining habitat of the orangutan and Sumatran tiger so, as well as stopping palm kernel animal feed imports, New Zealand must also ensure that the timber we import isn't also contributing to rainforest destruction.
Over the next month the Government is working on a strategy for how it will deal with illegal timber imports, especially outdoor furniture and decking made from a popular tropical timber called kwila. Imports of kwila are contributing to the destruction of the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia and PNG.
The Green Party is to table a bill in parliament to amend the Customs Act so as to stop the import of illegal timber. We want this bill to get through its first reading. For this to happen the National government needs to support it.
You can help protect the rainforests by sending a message to the Minister of Forestry David Carter urging him to support the Greens bill as well as move quickly to stop the import of illegal timber imports. As a consumer country of products from the destruction of tropical rainforests such as timber or palm kernel, we need to act now to save the forests and the climate.
Nick Young
Greenpeace
http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/action/forests/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New+Plymouth+PKE+action+EX+TAURANGA
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