Mass deforestation driven by China’s timber trade…

…there is another side to China’s exploding, double-digit-growth miracle economy – it is turning into one of the greatest environmental threats the earth has ever faced.
An ominous sign of the danger is given in a groundbreaking report from Greenpeace, published today, which maintains that China is now by far the world’s biggest driver of rainforest destruction. The report documents the vast deforestation driven by the soaring demands of China’s enormous timber trade – the world’s largest – as the country’s headlong economic development sucks in ever-more amounts of the earth’s natural resources.


independent.co.uk: China Crisis: threat to the global environment
And here’s what happened in London this morning:
Shortly after 7.30am, Greenpeace volunteers dumped over a tonne of plywood secured with large chains over the entrance to Defra – the UK Government department responsible for the environment. Two activists chained themselves to the plywood to prevent it being removed, and climbers scaled the outside of the building and secured a banner reading ‘BAN ILLEGAL TIMBER.’
More – Greenpeace.org.uk: Government Building Blockaded: Protestors use illegal rainforest timber to block entrance to Government building just yards from UK Parliament
And here’s the full report. Download the latest Greenpeace report, Partners in Crime: The UK timber trade, Chinese sweatshops and Malaysian robber barons in Papua New Guinea’s rainforests (PDF format).
Check out this nifty animation: Ancient Forest Furniture Assembly Instructions (sound is definitely recommended!)

daev
Chief Bottle Washer at Blather
Writer, photographer, environmental campaigner and "known troublemaker" Dave Walsh is the founder of Blather.net, described both as "possibly the most arrogant and depraved website to be found either side of the majestic Shannon River", and "the nicest website circulating in Ireland". Half Irishman, half-bicycle. He lives in southern Irish city of Barcelona.