🚀 go-pugleaf

## Nachricht vom 29.09.98, erstellt von greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org
## weitergeleitet durch Klaus Merkle
## PMs zum Inhalt bitte an den Ersteller, Brett-Mail ans Gruppenbrett



GREENPEACE UNFURLS GIANT BANNER OVER NIAGARA FALLS TO HIGHLIGHT
ANCIENT FOREST DESTRUCTION `Virtual' Boat Tour of Great Bear
Rainforest continues with daily updates to international web-
sites

(U.S.-Canadian Border/Niagara Falls) September 22, 1998 - A
Greenpeace team of international climbers, representing Canada,
the United States, Germany and Australia this morning hung a
banner from an observation tower jutting 30 metres out over the
Niagara Falls gorge, protesting the destruction of ancient
forests in North America. The banner, measuring 20 metres high,
by 10 metres wide reads "Save Ancient Forests", and displays the
Canadian and U.S. flags.

"More than 80 percent of the earth's ancient forests have been
destroyed," said Scott Paul, Greenpeace forest issues
specialist. "We're here at Niagara Falls, on the border of the
U.S. and Canada, because both countries are contributing to the
destruction of thousand year old trees."

The U.S. is one of the largest consumers of wood products from
Canada's Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, purchasing
nearly two-thirds of the wood.

On September 16, Greenpeace also launched a `virtual boat tour'
of Canada's endangered Great Bear Rainforest using the world
wide web to connect supporters around the globe with the 52 foot
sailing yacht `Freedom Dancer'. The ship is serving as a cyber-
base from which daily updates and digital images are being
transmitted via satellite to Greenpeace Canada's web site, as
well as those of numerous other national Greenpeace offices and
Greenpeace International's site.  This site alone receives
around 300,000 visitors per week.  The virtual tour is intended
to acquaint web surfers with this remote ancient forest and the
impending threats it faces from clearcut logging. Customers of
B.C. forest products are urged to log on to the site and assess
the true cost of their purchasing decisions.

"We're giving people a chance to see this remote and
breathtaking rainforest over the next few weeks.  People can
make their own decisions about whether they think it's right to
clearcut what's left of intact ancient forests," said Karen
Mahon, Greenpeace Forests Campaigner in Vancouver.

Over the past two days, the boat has been inspecting Western
Forest Products logging sites on Pooley and Roderick Islands. 
Since Sept. 16, it has also visited Fog Creek, which the Nuxalk
First Nation people have been attempting to protect for almost
a decade;  the Igram-Mooto lakes area, where Greenpeace, the
Sierra Legal Defence Fund and the hereditary chiefs of the Hemas
Council recently documented several violations of the Forest
Practices Code by Western Forest Products;  and Green Inlet,
home to the white Spirit Bear and slated for logging this year.

Greenpeace is calling on the B.C. government to place a
moratorium on logging and road-building in the remaining intact
rainforest valleys in the Canadian temperate rainforest.

.The web site address for the tour is
http://www.greenpeacecanada.org

FOR VIDEO, PHOTOS AND MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Shallhorn, Campaign Director, Greenpeace Canada on site,
cell 416-451-9354 Racine Tucker-Hamilton, Media Officer on site,
cell 202-256-4041 Diana Wilson, Greenpeace Press Officer in
Vancouver  at 604-253-7701

VIDEO FOOTAGE WILL BE UPLINKED TO GALAXY  SATELLITE
C-Band  Galaxy 6/T x 17      feed time 15:00 - 15:15 EST
Photos are available from Reuters and AP