Introduction (and Petition)

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

I hope that nobody will be offended that my first post on this group

will contain a link to a petition, but we are really in a fix her in

Ireland.

 

I am secretary of an organisation that is dedicated to returning the

native forests of the world to their natural state, and a return to

socially, spiritually, environmentally and economically sustainable

forests. We are based in Ireland, and are called the Woodland League.

I am also married to a Homeopath, so I like to think I understand

natural medicine (to a degree anyways).

 

We recognise the massive health benefits that come from natural

woodlands. The ancient Celts used to go to the woodlands to seek

spiritual purification for their illnesses (in fact, this is still

common practice in some Eastern European states). Many natural

medicines and herbs (as I'm sure many of you know) are derived from

plants that grow in forest habitats. Indeed, I've heard that 60% of

conventional medicines are derived from the native rainforests of South

America.

 

In Ireland, we have the lowest rate of environmentally protected areas

in the europe. We have just 1.17% of our land protected. The next

worst country is Albania (one of the poorest countries in the world), at

3%. The EU average is 12%.

 

Regarding forestry, our rate of Native planting is at less than 10%, the

other 90% being monoculture foreign exotic plantations. The EU average

is 73% native planting. The fact that the type of planting is

monoculture, means that Pesticides have to be used to prevent disease

and insects that would normally have not been a problem. This means

that any byproducts of the forest that could be used for medicine are

now unusable.

 

Most of this is down to a single company, Coillte. Coillte own 6% of

the Irish country, and have planted most of that with foreign exotic

plantations. Access to their forestry is restricted for practitioners

of natural medicine because Coillte fence of all the forestry. They

also cull wild herds of goats and deer (in Co. Clare in Ireland, over

4000 wild goats were slaughtered by Coillte).

 

The Wooldand League was organised to change forest policy in Ireland.

However, before we can do this, we have to show that the eyes of the

world are on Ireland. Please help us out and sign our petition at

http://www.petitiononline.com/rfpii

or send an e-mail to ciaran_hughes with name, address and

organisation (if applicable), and I will put you on the petition.

 

Best wishes,

Ciarán Hughes