When Chairman John Gay received the letters, he said:
"How could children know about the forestry operations in Tasmania?”
Want to respond?
Send your letters to us at:
Letters to John
Rainforest Action Network
221 Pine St. Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104
We’ll make sure he gets them.
Kid's Letters Bring New Hope for Tasmanian Forests!
On Nov. 9, more than 4,000 letters from the Earth Day Tasmanian Rainforest Letter Drive were personally delivered to Gunns Ltd. Chairman John Gay at a big shareholder meeting with lots of media present. The television and newspapers all over Australia are talking about the letters, which call on Gunns to stop its destruction of Tasmania’s ancient forests. The letters have inspired wide support and huge protests!
The letters were delivered by Pat Rasmussen, Coordinator of the World Temperate Rainforest Network, and singer-activist Dana Lyons, who attended the Gunns shareholder meeting in Tasmania, Australia, to bring attention to the issue. Gunns routinely clear-cuts old growth forest, napalms the logged area, then puts down 1080 poison to kill any mammals that might return to the site. Gunns also plans to build a new pulp mill that would increase the rate at which these ancient forests are destroyed.
Pat was met in Australia with overwhelming support and gratitude for the letters. She said:
I’ve never seen anything so powerful as those 4,000 letters. The letters had a profound affect on people -- it was on many TV and radio stations as well as print press. People walk up to me on the street and say, "Did I see you on TV? Thank you for what you did with the children's letters.
We went to the forest. It’s a magical forest, it’s much more beautiful than I even guessed. I talked to a lot of people who live there. They feel really overwhelmed because Gunns is so strong and determined to build the pulp mill even though the community doesn’t want it. They are encouraged because they are getting international help, they feel like they might win!
Pat was met in Australia with overwhelming support and gratitude for the letters. She said:
I’ve never seen anything so powerful as those 4,000 letters. The letters had a profound affect on people -- it was on many TV and radio stations as well as print press. People walk up to me on the street and say, "Did I see you on TV? Thank you for what you did with the children's letters.
We went to the forest. It’s a magical forest, it’s much more beautiful than I even guessed. I talked to a lot of people who live there. They feel really overwhelmed because Gunns is so strong and determined to build the pulp mill even though the community doesn’t want it. They are encouraged because they are getting international help, they feel like they might win!
They held a protest outside of the company’s shareholders meeting. Then Pat went inside and read one of the letters out loud. Afterwards, she walked up to Chairman John Gay and gave him the whole box of letters. Pat described it:
They told me “You can’t go up there,” but I said “They are addressed to Mr. Gay, so I’m going to give them to him.”
When he took the box, he responded by saying:
"How could children know about the forestry operations in Tasmania?”
This quote made news across Australia, offending children and teachers everywhere. One twelve-year-old responded:
I am writing to you because I’m offended by a comment made by Gunns Ltd chief executive John Gay, who said that children wouldn’t even know what’s going on in reference to the proposed pulp mill after being presented with letters of protests from children.
As a child, I strongly disagree and find the comment very rude and offensive. Saying things like this shows that Gay obviously doesn’t care for the future, or my generation.
I do know about the pulp mill, and I do know that it will have advantages and disadvantages, but I am capable of making up my own mind when presented with the facts, as are most people my age.
Does he think he’s fooling everyone, or just children? Rhiannon McMahon (12).
Students and Teachers: Join Rhiannon in responding to Gunns Ltd. Chairman John Gay!! Email or mail your letters to us, and we will make sure that he gets them!
Letters to John
Rainforest Action Network
221 Pine St. Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104
Check out the media coverage:
http://ran.org/media_center/news_article/?uid=2182
http://ran.org/media_center/news_article/?uid=2184
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1785008.htm