Protecting our climate, and protecting our wildlife. Australia has some of the most magnificent and biodiverse forests in the world. New science also shows they are some of the largest carbon banks on Earth, helping to reduce climate change as well as maintain our water supplies. Yet many of these ancient forests, particularly in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, are clearfelled, burnt, and turned into millions of tonnes of woodchips for paper and cardboard every year.
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| Tasmania's forests |
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More native forest is logged in Tasmania than the rest of Australia combined - including some of the tallest old growth forests in the world. Find out about the threat from the Gunns pulp mill and other issues. |
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| Victoria's forests |
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Victoria's forests are some of the most effective carbon stores in the world, and provide crucial water supply areas. Find out about more about climate change, water, wildlife and logging. |
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| Save NSW's River Red Gums |
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Along the Murray River are the largest remaining red gum forests on Earth. With 75% stressed, dead or dying, these Australian icons urgently need to be protected. |
Forests Updates
- Creating a 21st century Tasmania - March 16, 2010
- Make 2010 the year to protect and restore Australia’s forests as a climate solution - March 15, 2010
- Embracing forest protection as a climate solution - not just an offset mechanism - March 15, 2010
The Tasmanian state election will be held on Saturday 20 March. We assess the policies of the three major parties on forests and climate change, and urge Tasmanians to think about the forests when they cast their vote.
2010 is a very important year for getting strong action by all levels of Government on climate change. So far, the targets of both Federal Labor and the Coalitions climate policies are inadequate. Public pressure needs to be applied so Australia can make a real, fair and significant contribution to global efforts to secure a safe climate.
Prime Minister Rudd and Climate Minister Penny Wong have recently announced more funds to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the degradation of forests and peatlands in the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Unfortunately, they continue to refuse to put the simple climate solution of protecting and restoring forests into action in our own backyard.
Forests Events
- Community carbon-accounting days
- WildEndurance 2010
With your help, we can measure the amount of carbon stored in the forests that Forestry Tasmania is planning to log, and find out the true value of Tasmania's forests. Future community carbon-accounting days are being organised, and details will be listed here as soon as they are available.
The Wilderness Society's 100km team challenge set in the Blue Mountains will take place over the weekend of 1st and 2nd of May 2010.
Forests Media Releases
- Timber industry using old-style tactics for old-style politicians - March 17, 2010
- Who can you trust on forests this Saturday? - March 17, 2010
- A change at the top of Gunns would produce win-win for Tasmania - March 16, 2010
Today’s planned stunt by timber industry groups is simply a shallow re-run of a similar 2006 election stunt, according to the Wilderness Society. This stunt is just another example of logging companies dictating policy positions to politicians. Instead of showing vision and understanding the causes of the current crisis in the logging industry, these industry groups are trying to lock them into old-style policies the community doesn’t want and the industry doesn’t need
The Wilderness Society today released a report card assessing the three major parties' policies on forests. Based on our assessment, the Greens rated the highest, demonstrating strong environmental and logging industry reform policies. Labor and Liberal scored very poorly, reflecting their lack of vision in relation to our natural environment, particularly with regards to forests.
Tasmania’s native forests would have a future and jobs at the company would be safer if there was a fundamental change at a Board level at Gunns Limited, The Wilderness Society’s executive director Alec Marr said today. Mr Marr said reports that shareholders are seeking to remove chairman John Gay presented a golden opportunity to shift Gunns onto a more sustainable footing.
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