The PBS show, This Old House (TOH), promotes the use of tropical and temperate rainforest woods, thus encouraging the destruction of rainforests — the world's oldest "house".

Again on October 23, 2005, TOH aired a segment promoting the use of tropical and temperate rainforest woods for siding in their current project. The materials suggested for replacing siding included only tropical and temperate rainforest woods, with the host never suggesting the use of more sustainable alternatives, such as recycled materials, salvaged or reclaimed lumber, or even certified domestic woods.

The woods suggested for siding were ipê, teak, redwood and Western red cedar.

Ipê is a tropical wood mostly illegally logged from the Brazilian Amazon. A recent New York Times article highlighted the increase in illegal logging going on in Brazil and confirmed what Rainforest Relief has been stating for years, that ipê is one of the most targeted species by illegal loggers. Ipê has become so popular in the US that it is now the top timber import from Brazil and has likely become the top timber export from the Brazilian Amazon. Ipê logging is driving massive destruction of Amazon rainforests.

Teak as a wood has been so heavily targeted that it is now almost commercially extinct in its natural range (India, Thailand, Burma and Laos). Teak was planted in Indonesia by the Dutch many years ago and Indonesia has become a huge teak exporter. But at least 75% of logging in Indonesia is done illegally, with the teak forests being heavily targeted. These healthy second-growth rainforests are being rapidly destroyed by loggers.

Burma is the main source for what little old growth teak there is left in the world. The regime in Burma uses the funds from the sale of teak, both 'leagl' and illegal, to buy weapons to oppress the people of Burma. As well, the loss of Burma's forests are catastrophic. The southern forests have been largely logged and destroyed since the illegal regime took power.

Redwood is a temperate rainforest tree native to northern California and north into Oregon. One of the largest trees in the world, redwoods have been heavily targeted for their durable softwood, which has been used for everything from siding to decking to fencing to hot tubs. Redwoods are also one of the longest-lived trees in the world, reaching ages of 3,000 years. Only a few remnants of old growth redwoods remain. Old growth redwood should no longer be used and even second growth redwood should only be used if it is coming from an operation certified by and organization accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Western red cedar (WRC) is also a tree that is native to the northwest US but its range extends north through the temperate rainforests of coastal Canada into the rainforests of Alaska. Old growth WRC has been virtually eradicated in the Northwest US and is now coming mostly from British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest, driving the destruction of the last primary rainforests of Canada. Cedars can also get very old; 2,000-year-old WRC trees were not uncommon.

On the Oct. 23rd show, This Old House promoted "vertical grain" WRC, which means that the wood is from a tree that is likely to be from 800 to 1,800 years old.

This is, unfortunately, not the first time that TOH has promoted the use of rainforest woods in the television show and in the magazine. Ipê has been promoted as a good wood to use for decking in a number of issues and on more than one show.

In episode 10 (of 19 episodes) of the 'Billerica' series, which aired on 12/04/99 and again on 7/31/05, ipê was featured as the material of choice for the deck, as part of the renovations of Richard and Sandra Silva's Billerica, MA house. Dick Silva is a member of TOH's team and TOH host Tom Silva's older brother. The 'Billerica' shows were even promoted as educational shows for teachers by WGBH, the producer of the television series. So, in addition to the viewing audience and magazine subscribers,TOH's continuing ignorance of the impacts of choosing tropical woods is being spread to students in US schools.

Adding to the destruction, Armstrong/Bruce Hardwoods is an advertiser on the TOH website. Bruce produces a number of lines of flooring made from old growth tropical hardwoods, kempas and merbau. A recent investigation by Environmental Investigation Agency showed that virtually 100% of merbau imports into the US were originating from illegal logging operations, mostly in Papua New Guinea.

As well, Anderson & McQuaid Company is a sponsor of This Old House and most likely supplies the ipê and teak promoted in the show. Anderson and McQuaid is a large supplier of dozens of species of tropical hardwoods both in the Boston area as well as on-line.

Please join with us to stop This Old House from promoting more rainforest destruction to millions of viewers and subscribers. You can help by sending three messages, outlined below, to This Old House, WGBH and PBS, the station that airs TOH across the US.

And, as always, we appreciate your financial support so that Rainforest Relief can continue the vital work of sparing rainforests from logging.


1) Send a message to This Old House. Email them by using their on-line feedback form or by sending an email directly to contact@thisoldhouse.com.

Ask them to stop promoting the destruction of tropical and temperate rainforests by promoting the use of ipê, teak and other tropical hardwoods or temperate rainforest woods such as redwood or cedar. Tell them you will boycott their show and magazine until they stop promoting the destruction of Earth's dwindling rainforests and the diversity of animals and plants they support.

If you currently subscribe to This Old House magazine, consider canceling your subscription and letting them know why.

You can also write or phone them at:
This Old House Television
1185 Avenue of the Americas, 27th floor
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-522-9465
Fax: 212-522-9435
E-mail: contact@thisoldhouse.com.

2) Send a message to WGBH – Boston, the producers of This Old House.

125 Western Avenue
P.O. Box 200
Boston, MA 02134
phone: 617-300-5400, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm
fax: 617-300-1026

Send an email message to WBGH, using theiron-line feedback form. Ask them to pay more attention to the promotion of destructive materials on This Old House and other shows they produce. Tell them you will boycott their shows until they stop promoting the destruction of Earth's dwindling rainforests and the diversity of animals and plants they support.

Choose "This Old House" from the subject list and also make sure you click the "Please do not share my information" button at the bottom of the message page.


3) Send a message to PBS.

You can send a comment to PBS using their on-line comment page.


If you can, please do more!

4) Send a message to Armstrong/Bruce Hardwoods.


5) Phone or write Anderson & McQuaid Co. Inc. at:
800-640-3250 (Mon. – Thurs. 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Fri. 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Sat. 8:00 AM –1:00 PM)
170 Fawcett St.
Cambridge,MA 02138

Tell them to stop participating in the destruction of rainforests and end their sales of uncertied tropical hardwoods. Don't believe the rhetoric of their response, if you get one. Many companies are well-practiced in using false information developed by the wood importers association.


Let us know that you've sent a message so we can guage how many people are responding.