Kagey

It’s hard to believe that the forests of Northern Lapland I walked in earlier this year are being logged (pictured).

It’s harder still to understand the mindset that regards ancient forest acceptable fodder for the production of paper pulp for throwaway magazines, books and perhaps even toilet roll. It makes me very angry that we may be wiping our arses on the heritage of the Sami People and the wildlife their culture reveres.When will it stop? When there is no more to cut it seems. The Finnish government must intervene. To halt the logging and destruction of ancient forest, to protect the livelihoods of the Indigenous Sami People and to offer all aid and assistance to the loggers and their families working and living in the effected areas.

In the meantime I ask consumers of paper and timber products not to buy paper carrying the Stora Enso trade mark and to only buy timber carrying the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) labelYou may wish to review your purchasing policy on all Finnish products until it’s government takes the necessary steps to fully protect it’s last ancient forest and the Sami way of life. I won’t be buying Nokia.

Read the backgound to this statement