Protect rainforests, not phone books
By Ashley Tarquin
The following article was written in conjunction with CALPIRG’s
forest campaign, which kicked off last week.
Made up of 260,000 hectares of temperate rainforest located on
Vancouver Island, Canada, Clayoquot Sound provides a habitat for a
diverse array of species. The Sound is one of the largest remaining
temperate rainforests in the world. All around the world, wildlands
are being threatened and will be destroyed. Clayoquot Sound has
become an international system for the ongoing battle to preserve
what remains of our ancient forests.
The ancient rainforests of Clayoquot Sound are being sold to one
of the world’s largest logging companies, Macmillan-Bloedel
(MacBlo). MacBlo converts 48 percent of its timber into pulp for
low quality newsprint. Sixty-two percent of that pulp is sold to
buyers in the United States, most of whom are located in
California. Pacific Bell, ITT and GTE convert MacBlo pulp into
telephone directories, and the New York Times, Riverside
Press-Enterprise and other print media convert the pulp into
newsprint.
Canada’s decision to clear-cut the land is particularly
horrifying since the British Columbian government is now the
largest-known shareholder of MacBlo, owning $50 million in MacBlo
stock. With no conflict of interest guidelines in Canada, the
British Columbian government profits from its decision to allow
MacBlo to continue clearcutting Clayoquot. Furthermore, MacBlo is
known to have a criminal history, with 25 convictions of
environmental violations and 50 charges pending.
Imagine these cherished historic trees becoming mere yellow
pages! CALPIRG’s goal is to exercise our consumer power to get GTE
and Pacific Bell to use other means (preferably recycled paper) to
create their phone books. GTE needs to hear our demand, because we
are the voices they will respond to  the consumers,
representing their pocketbooks. CALPIRG chapters in northern
California and San Diego are also pressuring Pacific Bell, and it
is our job in Los Angeles to send GTE a message.
To help save this Canadian rainforest, along with the Pacific
salmon, blue herons, timber wolves, whales and marbled murrelets
that survive there, please call GTE at (800) 982-6347.
Tarquin, a junior, is CALPIRG’s Forest Project Coordinator.