Greenpeace – New Campaign To Slow Down Amazon Rainforest Destruction

June 1, 1999  Washington, D. C. ­ This week, Greenpeace has launched a worldwide campaign against loggers who are cutting down ancient forests illegally, especially Brazil's Amazon rainforest. Greenpeace Executive Director, Thilo Bode, announced in Rio de Janeiro on May 31st that "this is the most important campaign and also the largest. If we are successful, we can do something very important for the planet. It is certainly the most difficult campaign we have ever had." Bode pointed out that 70% of the Amazon's deforestation is caused by loggers - and most of them have no legal right to cut the trees down. Another fact is that half a dozen large corporations in Europe, Asia and the United States control more than 12% of the Amazon's timber-processing capacity and about half of the export value.