Word: timber
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Once upon a time the forests were the land. Covering the planet like an elegant drape, they nourished and protected most terrestrial life. Now the fabric is in tatters--slashed by timber interests, agriculture, suburban sprawl and plain human carelessness. In this second installment of our Heroes for the Planet series, we tell the stories of those working to preserve the great swatches of green that still survive...
Bonnie Phillips has been called an eco-nazi. Twice, logging trucks in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest northeast of Seattle have run her off the road. She shrugs. Washington and Oregon are where the big wave of U.S. logging ran out of room, and the timber wars there--between loggers and environmentalists over uncut remnants of ancient Douglas fir and hemlock forests--are not beanbag fights...
Plotkin soon realized that his work could play a role in saving the rain forest. The key was to help persuade indigenous peoples and their governments that they stood to gain more in the long run if they preserved their trees and cultures than if they let timber companies strip the land. The knowledge of the shamans--and the secrets that new generations of shamans might uncover--could be worth a fortune, especially since herbal medicine is booming in developed countries. Interest in medicinal plants is "real sweet right now," Plotkin says. "Indians are potentially the best conservationists out there...
...find it in a new Gibson guitar, in kiosks at the Nature Company stores and even in the Portland Trailblazers' practice court. It's wood harvested responsibly from an eco-friendly commercial forest, not timber stripped from a virgin rain forest. How do you know? The Forest Stewardship Council says...
...Gore, he says, "has been remarkably loyal to the President, in large measure because in the long run it is wise to remain loyal." At a time of crisis in the White House, visibly staying on board is a good way to demonstrate the solidity of your own presidential timber, particularly when the crisis has a strong partisan undercurrent. The Gore statement also serves an immediately important cheerleading function. "It puts a stop to any possible Democratic wavering that might develop in the crucial next few days," says McAllister. Of course, if there is a lot of Democratic wavering...