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Nobel Prize winner, anti-poverty group, scientists fire back at logging lobbyist

Nobel Prize winner condemns lobbyist for using her name in support of his pro-logging agenda.


An industrial lobbyist is facing mounting criticism for his campaign to reduce social and environmental safeguards in Indonesia.



Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner for her tree-planting campaign in Africa, blasted lobbyist Alan Oxley for using her name to imply that she supports the large-scale conversion of tropical forests for industrial plantations. Francesca de Gasparis, Director of Maathai’s Green Belt Movement International, told mongabay.com “Maathai emphatically does not support Oxley’s assertion.”



“African countries should seriously focus on climate change and embrace mitigation strategies like protecting indigenous forests,” states the Green Belt Movement’s web site. “While there are no quick fixes, governments must shield citizens from the unavoidable negative impact. One of the strategies is to protect, conserve and restore forests.”



Deforestation in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Meanwhile a group of prominent scientists castigated Oxley, who heads World Growth International, an NGO, and ITS Global, a marketing firm, for his response to their criticism that he is distorting the facts about deforestation in Indonesia. The scientists, led by William F. Laurance of James Cook University, say Oxley has failed to address their specific assertions that his campaigns against environmental protection contain “important inaccuracies or misperceptions”. They suggest Oxley is instead trying to further “muddy the waters” and use the criticism as a platform for his messaging in support of palm oil, timber, and wood-pulp industries.





Greenpeace says the lower picture shows misconduct by PT Bangun Nusa Mandiri, a Sinar Mas company. Photo taken on July 5, 2010 by Rante (© Rante/Greenpeace).

Oxley maintains he is working on behalf of the rural poor, yet he is quick to attack anyone who criticizes any of his corporate clients as rabid environmentalists with an anti-development agenda. Lately he’s been particularly active on behalf of Sinar Mas holding companies, including PT SMART, a palm oil company, and Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), which have been under pressure from NGOs for conflict with communities and deforestation in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Asia Pulp & Paper, last week admitted to supporting the sorts of “front groups” cited by the scientists in their letter.



“We will use groups like Greenspirit to independently assess our business just as we will use different groups to monitor our continued improvement against our carbon footprint baseline, our certification performance, our social responsibility programs and our chain of custody policies,” Ian Lifshitz, Sustainability & Public Outreach Manager for APP’s Americas division, told mongabay.com. “At the same time we will support groups like the Consumer Alliance for Global Prosperity that respect the right and need for emerging economies to have the opportunity to develop their economies.”








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