UW paper use under fire

Grassroots organization Rainforest Action Network (RAN) hosted a campaign kickoff last night against Weyerhaeuser to organize student pressure against the company's presence on campus.

According to RAN, Weyerhaeuser is one of the top-three logging companies in the world and the No. 1 destroyer of old growth forests in North America.

"We are running a markets campaign against Weyerhaeuser because their practice of logging old growth forests is outdated and barbaric," said Sharon Smith, former RAN organizer.

Because the company is based in Federal Way, RAN aims to impact Weyerhaeuser's consumers in its hometown. By targeting Weyerhaeuser's corporate customers such as Costco, RAN pressures businesses to respond to the global deforestation crisis.

They are currently looking into the links UW has to Weyerhaeuser, such as how much of student and University funds are spent on Weyerhaeuser products.

RAN's goals on campus are to help the University find other companies to purchase products from that do not log old growth forests and to inform students of the issue.

"With student pressure, more and more campuses can commit to using recycled products," said Mike Pesa, a RAN organizer.

"They're logging in our own state, which is why this campaign is important," said senior Leila Katirayi. "Our goal is to inform the public because that's the problem -- people don't know."

But according to Richard Hanson, Weyerhaeuser's chief operating officer, the public is receiving inaccurate information about its products and practices.

"Some environmental groups use distortions and half-truths to demonize our forestry and manufacturing practices," he said in a speech last August. "These groups do not appear to care about the value and advantages our products bring society, the advances we have made in forest management, or about the science that indicates that we can balance economic and other forest values sustainably."

Both groups have met to discuss the issues but have not reached any solutions.

"Even though we have clearly communicated our position to them, their position has not softened," Hanson said. "Their Web site continues to make inaccurate claims against Weyerhaeuser."

According to Hanson, if environmental activists succeed in setting the agenda, "the result will be to hasten off-shore forest development and lost opportunity in North America," he said.