In June, Interpol's Environmental Crime Unit and the U.N. Environment Programme launched Project LEAF to tackle international forest crime. Last month, Project LEAF held a weeklong course in the Brazilian Amazon for officers from eight Latin American countries on skills to combat deforestation -- from learning how to read satellite images for signs of forest degradation to jungle survival.
In the past year, illegal logging has garnered growing attention. In 2009 and 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raided Gibson Guitar factories for evidence that the company imported rare wood to make musical instruments. This sparked vehement criticism of the Lacey Act from conservative groups that see the measure as an infringement of business owners' rights.
Earlier this year, the Environmental Investigation Agency, an independent group, found that 35 percent of wood shipments between Peru and the United States contained protected species of mahogany and cedar (ClimateWire, April 11).
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500
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4 Comments
Add CommentOh my god! The timber industry has to compete. How will we ever survive? No wonder why hemp is illegal.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYep, this is what greenie cultists cause. They demand expensive recycling, so people dump their garbage in the bush. They demand extraordinarily expensive "clean energy", and people will burn toxic garbage, cut down trees illegally for fuel and kill wildlife illegally for food. Greenies, I have often said, are the most eco-destructive people on this Earth.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRemember that there wouldn't be a major Coal power plant in the Developed World today if it weren't for the Greenie led rampage against the Nuclear energy revolution in the 70's & 80's. And Green Party candidate, Ralph Nader caused the disastrous election of Big Oil's personal stooge - George "chimp" Bush in 2000. Thanks Greenies, thanks a lot.
If anything, "greenie cultists" should endorse hemp and bamboo, superior products to cotton and wood.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs with most illegal markets in natural products the problem is one of demand not supply. The fashion demands of the elite drive the profitability of these activities. If you want to shut this and other illegal markets down, don't waste money on enforcement. A few well placed bucks can pay off anyone to look the other way. Instead go after the people consuming the product. Exotic hardwoods are not being purchased by the poor or middle class, they are bought by the wealthy as status symbols. Change the perception and the problem will go away on its own.
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