media advisory
friends of the earth international
May 10, 2006
south america pulping problem under the
spotlight
VIENNA (AUSTRIA), May 10, 2006 – The
negative impacts of pulping in South America
came under the spotlight this week during an
alternative Europe-Latin America gathering
held in parallel to the May 12 European Union
- Latin America and Caribbean Heads of State
Summit hosted in Vienna. [1]
Participants in the May 10-11 alternative
summit are holding a ‘People's Tribunal on
Human Rights violations' perpetrated by
European corporations in Latin America and
the Caribbean. [2]
Four European companies are summoned to
the Tribunal for violations in connection
with pulping -- Norwegian-Brazilian Aracruz
Celulose, Finnish Metsä Botnia and Spanish
ENCE for the installation of pulp mills in
Latin America, along with Austrian Andritz AG
for supplying the necessary pulp machinery
for the projects.
Pulping has led to deforestation, severe
environmental pollution, and increased
concentration of land ownership in the hands
of a few transnational corporations,
resulting in the displacement of rural
populations and family farmers.
"The establishment of forest monocultures
for the production of cellulose in South
American countries has had serious social and
environmental impacts in Brazil, Chile,
Argentina and Uruguay," according to Carlos
Santos of Friends of the Earth
Uruguay/Redes.
background information online
at
http://www.foei.org/publications/forests/Briefing_pulp_and_paper_projects.rtf
for more information
: Carlos Santos, Friends of the Earth
Uruguay/REDES (for information on the pulp
mills in Latin America) Tel: +32-498 492563
(Belgian cell only May 10-14,in Vienna) or
email
Paul de Clerck, Friends of the Earth
International, Tel: +32-47310147 (Belgian
cell) or email
Andreas Baur, Friends of the Earth
Austria/Global 2000 press officer: tel: +43
(0) 664 103 24 23 (Austrian cell) or
email
Daniel Hausknost, Friends of the Earth
Austria/Global 2000 (for the Andritz case):
tel: +43-69914200019 (Austrian cell) or
email
notes to editors
[1] Summit website:
http://www.uealc.at
[2] Alternative Summit and Tribunal website:
http://www.alternativas.at
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