Specious Woods
Press Release Modern Express no. 4
(The other press releases on the modern Express are available here)
According to the French naval headquarters of the Atlantic Ocean there are 3600 tons of sawn timber on board of the Modern Express. On the other hand, the Ministry of Economy of Gabon (after having consulted with the shipping agent Necotrans in Libreville) claims that there are 4089 tons of sawn timber. Necotrans also has an agency in Le Havre.
The fact that Gabon claimed an international investigation of the matter thorough Interpol encourages France to do likewise on its own territory, particularly because the timber unloaded at Le Havre can reach China on board of container ships of Chinese companies that regularly call at Le Havre.
Paris Métropical
Objet : Inauguration de la Bibliothèque Nationale
– Après l’estampillage par Robin des Bois en décembre 1994 de 21 bancs en bois d’Amazonie implantés sur les Champs-Elysées, la ville de Paris a réclamé devant la
14 ème chambre correctionnelle du Palais de Justice de Paris 296.547 francs de dommages et intérêts justifiés par un devis de l’entreprise Decaux, spécialiste européen de l’embrouille et du mobilier urbain.
– Dans le cadre de la campagne de Robin des Bois, les maires de Munich, Francfort, Heidelberg, Cologne, Edimbourg, Manchester, Birmingham, Amsterdam et Bâle ont écrit en été 1995 au maire de Paris pour lui demander de signer une charte sur les restrictions d’utilisation des bois “exotiques” dans les édifices publics. Aucune de ces petites villes européennes n’a reçu de réponse de l’Hôtel de Ville de Paris.
Paris: the international environmental community condemns the TGB
Around thirty environmentalists representing active organisations from Europe, Africa, Australia, Japan and the USA – who are united at an international meeting in Paris on forest exploitation organised by the FME (Forest Movement Europe) – expressed today (Sunday midday) their united opposition against the abusive use of tropical timbers in the new National Library (TGB – Très Grand Bibliothèque).
The protesters organised a sit-in on the esplanade of the TGB whilst unfurling a banner denouncing in their 14 languages, including 3 Cameroonian dialects, what they consider to be an abuse of tropical wood. An IPE label was stamped on to one of the steps of the esplanade.
