Should Development of Papua New Guinea’s Tropical Rainforest be stopped? Concord Pacific Some questions to help you prepare for the debate: How would Concord Pacific feel about the above question? Why? What benefits does logging bring to; a) different groups of people in PNG? b) The government of PNG? Are there alternatives to logging? Could you argue that legal logging is better than illegal logging? Can logging be made more sustainable? Will logging help PNGs level of development? How does logging impact the local economy? How does logging impact the regional economy? Concord Pacific is a massive Malaysian firm who are involved in logging in PNG. In December 2001 the controversial firm gained a new logging permit, bypassing the procedures specified in the Forestry Act. The permit allows the company to log three kilometres (1.86 miles) on either side of an 831 kilometre (516 miles) long road corridor. This is a loophole in the Forestry act because the permit is to build a road when the intention is to access valuable rainforest hard woods. While the six kilometre wide strip is attractive in itself, the real prize is the 2.7 million hectares (5.68 millon acres) of forests in eight unallocated logging concessions that straddle the road corridor. PNG’s forest industry is no stranger to controversy. In 1988, Justice Tos Barnett headed a Royal Commission into the forest industry and was scathing in his findings. Logging companies, he warned, “are now roaming the countryside with self assurance of robber barons; bribing politicians and leaders, creating social disharmony and ignoring laws in order to gain access to, rip out, and export the last remnants of … valuable timber.” Should Development of Papua New Guinea’s Tropical Rainforest be stopped? Sir Michael Somare and the PNG government. Some questions to consider for the Debate; What would Sir Michael Somare want to happen to PNGs rainforest resource? Why? Who does Michael Somare need to keep happy? Why? Could the principles of Sir Michael’s Coalition for Rainforest Nations be under pressure? What would Sir Michael think of TNCs (e.g. Chevron) working to exploit the rainforest resources of PNG? What would Sir Michael think of NGOs (e.g. Greenpeace) working to promote sustainable development of the rainforest resources of PNG? Would Sir Michael advocate a total ban on use of the forest? Why? Why not? What would Sir Michael want for the future of PNG and its people? How will he achieve this? In 1996 the Prime Minister of PNG was Sir Julius Chan, who created a National Forest Plan. The plan allowed logging, and prioritised the interests of industrial logging firms over wishes of local communities. Non Government Organisations critised the plan, and the next prime minister, Sir Makere Morauta, announced in 2000 that there would be no more new licences for logging and that existing licenses would need to be sustainable. Today, Sir Michael Somare is in charge of PNG. He founded the Coalition for Rainforest Nations on May 10, 2005, at Columbia University. This is an intergovernmental organization established by forested tropical counties to collaboratively reconcile forest stewardship with economic development. The Rainforest Coalition aims to bring together both LEDCs and MEDCs for the purpose of creating community-driven, environmentally sustainable economic growth. The idea is to promote community-driven environmentally sustainable economic growth. Participants: Countries participating within the various activities of the Rainforest Coalition include: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chile, Congo, Colombia, Costa Rica, DR Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Uruguay, Uganda, and Vanuatu. What is at Stake: The World cannot afford to fail in this endeavour, as this approach provides the best opportunity to reconcile economic development with global climate stability and environmental sustainability in forested tropical regions. If these outcomes cannot be attained together, it is unlikely that either objective will be attained individually. The stakes are high; the Coalition Nations are tackling the challenge of implementing policy creatively and constructively. Should Development of Papua New Guinea’s Tropical Rainforest be stopped? Protecting people and the environment is at the cornerstone of ChevronTexaco’s corporate policy. The company’s Kutubu Petroleum Development Project in PNG shows this. We have tried to conserve the environment, preserve cultural diversity and promote sustainable communities while exploring for and producing oil in an ecologically sensitive forest. Richard Matzke Chevron Chevron are a huge Trans National Corporation whose headquarters can be found in the USA, they are affiliated with Texaco. They discovered oil in the Kikori basin area (North West of Port Moresby) in 1990. A pipeline was built and oil has been exported since 1992. They have tried to put some money from the project into a project called the Kutubu Joint Venture Project, which aims to protect the biodiversity of the area. They have offered technical assistance and training and set up ecologically sound agriculture, butterfly capture and community based forestry, ecotourism and fish farming. However, the extraction of oil and the pipeline have damaged the ecosystem. Chevron have expanded their operations in PNG. On March 9, 1998 Chevron announced that crude oil began to flow from the Gobe oil development project in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Initial production from the onshore project flowed at a combined rate of 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), and is expected to reach 50,000 bpd. Reserves from the oil field are currently estimated at 100 million barrels. Chevron is PNGs only oil operator. "Gobe is the second step in the long-range plan to develop Papua New Guinea's oil reserves, and further demonstrates Chevron's commitment to the development of this country's natural resources," said Richard Matzke, a director of Chevron Corp., and president of Chevron Overseas Petroleum, Inc. Questions to consider to prepare for the debate; 1. What would ChevronTexaco think of the question “Should Development of Papua New Guinea’s Tropical Rainforest be stopped?” Why? 2. What benefits do ChevronTexaco bring to the people of PNG? 3. What benefits do ChevronTexaco bring to the Government of PNG? 4. What alternatives are there to stopping development of the forest? 5. How do people outside of PNG benefit from ChevronTexaco’s oil production in PNG? 6. How can Chevron Texaco help the development of PNG? 7. Can ChevronTexaco claim that their activities are sustainable? Should development of Papua New Guinea’s Tropical Rainforest be stopped? The Maisan Ethnic Group Papua New Guinea - Hokowe Pamowe, headman of the Batamoa clan of the Kosuo tribe (cassowary tribe) surveys a recently constructed logging road and bridge over the Aworra River. The river is important to the local people for fishing and there is concern that already fish stocks are depleted due to the erosion and silting. Some questions to consider to prepare for the debate; 1. Read the article opposite. What would the Maisan people want for this rainforest? Why? 2. What do they stand to lose from any further developments? 3. What do they stand to gain from any developments? 4. What would the Maisan think about TNCs such as Chevron and Concord Pacific exploiting the forest resources? 5. How would further developments, if permitted, affect the society and culture of these people? 6. How would further developments in the rainforest affect the biodiversity of this ecosystem? 7. What futures are possible for this tribe of people? 8. Out of those futures, which is most preferable for those people? 9. Is sustainable development possible in this region? "Land cannot be measured in monetary terms. It is non-transferable. It is our birthright." About the Masian and the rainforest The Maisan people are some of the original inhabitants of PNG. They live around the pristine Collingwood Bay. The rich marine life and coral reefs in Collingwood Bay have been identified in a biological survey to be of national conservation significance. The terrestrial environment is no less impressive, comprising rainforest stretching from one of PNG's highest mountains plunging down to the sea. This forest of Oro Province provides the habitat of the world's largest butterfly species, the Queen Alexander Birdwing butterfly, found nowhere else. In May 2002, a Judge of the National Court of PNG ruled that the government of PNG in 1998 had illegally sold, to private development and logging companies, the rights to exploit the customary land of the Maisin people. These companies entered into an agreement with a Malaysian logging company to clear-cut the forests for the purpose of developing a palm oil plantation. The Maisin people did not learn of these dealings until barges arrived in Collingwood Bay carrying bulldozers and other logging equipment in June of 1999. The court cancelled the Government’s leases and issued an order preventing the companies from entering the land without the written consent of the Maisin people. This victory allows the Maisin people to continue protecting their forests as they have for generations. PNG is home to the largest remaining rainforest wilderness in the Asia/Pacific region, and the third largest in the world. These vast forests are also home to roughly 70% of the nation’s traditional communities. PNG law recognizes that these local communities own their land. In total, local communities own almost 97% of Papua New Guinea. The Maisin people own over 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) and have rejected the use of their land for large-scale industrial logging or agricultural development. They would prefer to use producing Tapa cloth as an alternative income source. The Maisin people have a particularly strong culture of tapa production, and have identified it as a alternative source of income for their communities. In PNG the cloth is pounded from the bark of the mulberry tree. The trees are grown in family gardens. The damp bark is beaten flat, and then painted with natural dyes collected from the forest. Traditionally a women's art in Collingwood Bay, each cloth is painted with a different design, depending on the clan of the artist. Tapa has been used for generations for trade, as clothing, and for ceremonies and the Maisan plan to sell it internationally. Together with CM, ACF and Greenpeace, the Maisin have established a community based 'micro-enterprise' based on the production and marketing of tapa cloths. The project has been run through the Maisin Tapa Business Group (MTBG). http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=100&c=255833 http://www.elaw.org/assets/pdf/png.native.lands.victory.pdf Should development of Papua New Guinea’s Tropical Rainforest be stopped? Greenpeace Partners in Crime: Malaysian loggers, timber markets and the politics of selfinterest in Papua New Guinea Greenpeace activists at the Cabinet Office in protest against the UK Government's use of illegally logged timber, sourced from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, in the building's refurbishment. Greenpeace mission statement Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action. Greenpeace is a non-profit organisation, with a presence in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments or corporations but relies on contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants. As a global organisation, Greenpeace focuses on the most crucial worldwide threats to our planet's biodiversity and environment. Some questions to prepare for the debate; 1. How would Greenpeace respond to the question above? Why? 2. If destruction continues in PNG what will the region be like in 10 years? 50 Years? 200 years? 3. What local impacts does the rainforest destruction have on the local environment? 4. What impacts does the rainforest destruction have on the global environment? 5. What impacts does the rainforest destruction have on the local people? 6. What alternatives are there to rainforest destruction? 7. What are the moral and ethical implications of rainforest destruction? 8. What would Greenpeace think of the fact that Cargill refines its palm oil outside of PNG? 9. What would Greenpeace think of one crop (monoculture) agriculture such as palm oil replacing Tropical rainforest? Greenpeace’s views and activities in PNG The Paradise Forests of Papua New Guinea are among the largest and most biologically diverse ancient forests left in the world. The future of these forests, and of the people who depend upon them, is currently at the mercy of an international market whose appetite for cheap timber, furniture and flooring is driving ancient forest destruction. This market in Greenpeace’s view turns a blind eye to the human and environmental devastation it is causing. Many of the transnational logging companies that currently dominate Papua New Guinea´s forestry industry have moved to these forests after depleting rich forests nearer to home. The Kiunga-Aiambak Road Project is an example of what is going wrong in Papua New Guinea´s forests. The controversial Kiunga-Aiambak ‘Road Project´ has in practice been nothing but a ploy for a Malaysian-owned logging company to access thousands of hectares of Papua New Guinea´s rainforest. The seven-year project has had extensive and well-documented environmental, economic and social consequences, including the loss of the forest resource itself, the devastation of traditional food sources and the non-payment of millions of kina in revenue owed to local landowners. Amongst the destruction, there is a new hope in parts of the Paradise Forests. Greenpeace is working with communities to take back their land and to create a viable living from ecologically sustainable solutions. In some areas, local landowners have invited Greenpeace to help forge these lasting solutions that will return the forest to its people. Green peace have encouraged eco-forestry and contested illegal logging by Concord Pacific. Should development of Papua New Guinea’s Tropical Rainforest be stopped? Cargill Rows of palm oil trees that have re[placed tropical rainforest. A monoculture, this crop is a cash crop. Palm oil at harvest. It is used in food products, as a greasing agent, in makeup, cleaning products and has many other uses. Cargill is Committed to Sustainable Palm Production Cargill owns and operates palm plantations in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG), palm refineries in several nations and processes and markets palm products worldwide. Cargill believes that palm should be produced sustainably and is committed to responsible and sustainable palm production on its own palm plantations. Cargill defines sustainable palm production as protecting the environment, using best available agronomic practices, sustaining native animal species such as orangutans and tigers, providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, respecting local land rights and helping to develop local communities. Together with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local communities, Cargill monitors its impact on the environment and aims to develop partnerships to conserve resources and biodiversity. Cargill is committed to preserving biodiversity and complying with local laws pertaining to palm production, including those related to preserving native species and other aspects of sound environmental management. Cargill has three plantations in Papua New Guinea (PNG); Higaturu, Milne Bay, and Poliamba. Together, these plantations cover nearly 56,000 hectares (138,000 acres), which is less than 1/100th of the more than 6 million hectares dedicated to palm production in Indonesia and PNG. Cargill currently has about 10,000 permanent and an additional 5,000 seasonal employees working on its palm plantations. It also supports approximately 17,000 “smallholders,” who are primarily small family farmers generally working one to four hectares of palm. With its palm operations in Indonesia and PNG, Cargill estimates that it directly contributes to the economic welfare of more than 100,000 local inhabitants through the products and services it purchases to run its plantations. The palm oil is refined in Malaysia, India, Germany, Belgium, Russia, the Netherlands, and the United States. http://www.cargill.com/news/issues/palmoilissue.htm Some questions to consider as you prepare for the debate; What benefits does palm oil production bring to the people of PNG? Which people in PNG benefit the most from palm oil production? How and Why? What criticisms might come your way? How can you deflect the criticism? What benefits does palm oil production bring to the world? Can you argue that palm oil plantations are sustainable? Can the article above you help you in any way? Should development of Papua New Guinea’s Tropical Rainforest be stopped? Judges Your job is to come to a judgement on the question above after listening to all of the arguments posed by the following groups; Concord Pacific – a logging firm Sir Michael Somare – President of PNG Chevron – a petroleum company The Maisan Ethnic group Greenpeace – an environmental group Cargill – a company producing palm oil You must objectively listen to the arguments of all of the groups, and ask them questions based upon their presentations. Jobs to do; 1. Make a list of all of the questions you would like to ask these groups of people. 2. You should also establish criteria to judge the groups presentations by. Write a list of these criteria and allocate the criteria marks. 3. Choose – a spokesperson who will speak on behalf of the judges - a secretary who will record the key points and arguments of the different groups