(en) awsm.nz: Book Review: 'Money Logging'
Money Logging', written by Lukas Straumann, investigates what has been called 'the biggest
environmental crime of our times' -- the massive destruction of the Borneo rainforest by
Malaysian loggers. Straumann, the executive director of Swiss NGO Bruno Manser Fonds,
researched the involvement of Abdul Taib Mahmud in the destruction of the rain forest in
Borneo during his 33-year reign as chief minister of Sarawak from 1981 to 2014. ---- The
Bruno Manser Fonds has supported the Penan people who live in the Borneo rainforest for
many years in their fight for survival. ---- Straumann singles out Abdul Taib Mahmud as
the kingpin of this Asian timber mafia, while he shows that Taib's family -- with the
complicity of global financial institutions -- have profited to the tune of 15 billion US
dollars. 'Money Logging' is a story of a people who have lost their ancient paradise to a
wasteland of oil palm plantations, pollution, and corruption--and how they hope to take it
back.
The are obvious links to New Zealand. The most obvious is the vast amounts of Palm Kernel
Extract (PKE) imported as feed for cattle. It is a by-product of the palm oil industry in
South East Asia. Fonterra's role in rainforest destruction has long been exposed by
environmental groups. It's a scandal that Fonterra is feeding its dairy cows a product
that is directly contributing to the destruction of the world's remaining rainforests and
to increased climate change. Between 1999 and 2014, PKE imports grew from 400 tonnes to
2200 million tonnes, a 5,500 fold increase!
On the East Coast, Hikurangi Forest Farms (HFF) has an 'estate' of 35,000 hectares of
intensively managed Pinus Radiata plantations. The directors of the company are based in
Sarawak. The company is fully owned by TreeOne NZ Ltd. which fully owned by TreeOne
Malaysia. TreeOne is a subsidiary of Samling Global Limited. Samling is one of the logging
conglomerates in Borneo.
The book is beautifully illustrated with photos of Penan road blockades, graphics and
images of activist Bruno Manser, who lived in the forest for many years. Highly recommended.
Related
AWSM Phone Conference Minutes 2013-06-05
AWSM - 03 June 2013 Minutes Present: Simon, Barrie, Urs Minutes: Simon [130606] Agenda
Wellington Anarchist bookfair [Urs] AWSM Annual General Meeting[Urs] Constitutional review
[Urs / Simon] Bank account [Urs] Review of ten years of anarchist organising [Simon /
Barry] How we organise [Barry] Recruiting [Simon] Anarchism.net.nz Actions Action...
In "Minutes"
http://www.awsm.nz/2015/08/09/book-review-money-logging/
