The Wilderness Society Update - Environment East Gippsland sues VicForests for illegal logging

Today, Environment East Gippsland commenced proceedings against VicForests in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

A writ was filed with the court this morning and has just been served on VicForests.

“We ask the Court for a permanent injunction to stop VicForests from logging Brown Mountain” said Jill Redwood, Coordinator of EEG. “We also ask the Court to declare that the logging of Brown Mountain is unlawful”.

Brown Mountain is known habitat for at least five species of wildlife listed as vulnerable or threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.

Click here to hear the latest from The Wilderness Society's Amelia Young.

To find out the latest news from The Wilderness Society, please visit http://www.wilderness.org.au/

Who Gives You Your Wood?

Australians use wood for hundreds of different things. But where does this wood come from? Is your beautiful dining room table the stolen home of an Orang-utan? Is your wood decking responsible for climate change? .

Australia imports products made from timber that is illegally harvested from the Paradise Forests of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Solomon Islands. This rampant and unregulated illegal logging is linked to corruption, environmental destruction and loss of livelihood for forest communities.

We now have the ability to make informed decisions when buying wood and knowing where it comes from...in other words, you can choose Good Wood.

Good Wood comes from ethically and ecologically sustainable sources. Buying Good Wood tells companies there is no market for illegal and destructive timber and forces them to act responsibly.

Click here to listen to the interview with Reece Turner - Forests and Whaling Campaigner for Greenpeace Australia.

Take the time to check out the following websites too!

http://www.goodwoodguide.org.au/
AND
http://www.greenpeace.org.au/

The Wilderness Society

There is a lot focus on reducing our carbon footprint. By cutting our power usage, walking rather than driving, etc we are releasing less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere thus reducing global warming. However there is the other side of the cycle that gets less attention. Trees reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by converting it into oxygen as well as storing it as a "carbon bank".

By logging our forests we are eliminating this side of the cycle. The Wilderness Society is a community-based environmental protection organisation. They work to safeguard our sources of clean water and air, to tackle devastating climate change, to create a safe future for life on Earth, and to give a better world to our children. The majority of our work is in Australia, with a strong focus on natural environments and the role they play in keeping our world safe.

Click here to hear the interview with Amelia Young, Acting Forest Campaigner from The Wilderness Society.

What can you do to help?

1. Visit http://www.wilderness.org.au/
   
2. Attend the Rally in Warburton, Sunday 23rd November, 2008, 11:45am at the rotunda Warburton Hwy., Warburton
   
3. Attend the Forests & Climate Change Action Forum, Thursday 27th November, 2008, 7pm at Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, 1 Gardenia Street, Blackburn
   
4. Email: john.brumby@parliament.vic.gov.au and CC: gavin.jennings@parliament.vic.gov.au and john.lenders@parliament.vic.gov.au
   
5. Write to The Age, The Herald Sun and online publications about your opposition to logging old growth forests.
   
6. Visit the JOY 94.9 studios at Level 9/225 Bourke Street, Melbourne and pick up The Wilderness Society postcards that you can mail to PM Kevin Rudd and your State Member of Parliament
   
7. Become a volunteer of The Wilderness Society

Amelia Young can be contacted on (03) 9038 0888 or amelia.young@wilderness.org.au