Earthday

For Immediate Release

New York City is Contributing to Stronger Hurricanes
Park Benches, Bridge Decking, Subway Track Ties and Other
Wood Used by the City are Cut from Tropical Rainforests, Fueling Global Warming

NEW YORK, NY. Rainforest Relief, based in New York City, once again aired an ad on NY1 calling for New York City to end the practice of using tropical hardwoods for boardwalks, benches, ferry terminals and subway track ties. The ad aired for Earth Week, from April 17 to April 23.

Logging of tropical forests is the main factor leading to their ultimate destruction. The loss of these forests is generating the fastest rate of species extinction in 65 million years, as well as contributing 25% – 35% of human-caused global warming gases. The vast majority of the world’s scientists believe that these gases, such as C02, are contributing to climate change and that this process has already begun. A recent study showed that the intensity of hurricanes has increase by up to 50% in the last 50 years due to global warming.

“What will it take for our governments to realize that they’re contributing to calamities such as these hurricnaes by destroying rainforests,” said Joan Roney, a member of Dogwalking for Rainforests Collective, based in Manhattan, one of the groups who helped fund the ad.

It’s estimated that the New York City government is the largest single consumer of tropical hardwoods in North America and perhaps in the world outside of the tropics. The city began using tropical hardwoods for the 10 miles of boardwalks in the mid-1960s and for the hundreds of miles of subway tracks in the early 1900s.

“In response to the devastation wrought by hurricanes strengthened by climate change, we’re sending yet another message to the New York City government that the use of tropical hardwoods for park benches and other uses must stop now,” said Tim Keating, Executive Director of Rainforest Relief. “There are cost-effective and ecologically preferable alternatives to the use of rainforest hardwoods, but NYC doesn’t care to use them.”

Recycled plastic lumber is a more environmentally sound alternative for outdoor use. Some of the plastic recyclables generated by the city are used by local companies to make this durable material. Recycled plastic lumber won’t splinter like wood, saves on maintenance because it lasts far longer, and also creates local jobs. But the city has been reluctant to use it. Test sections in the Staten Island Ferry terminal have performed incredibly well but the DOT has yet to adopt the material for general use.

Some plastic lumber has been used for park benches but the Parks Department still leaves the choice up to individual designers. Ultimately, rainforest wood is the typical choice.

It’s estimated that 600,000 acres of rainforests were logged to replace the city’s boardwalks with tropical wood. Now the old rainforest wood is being replaced again, repeating the cycle.

The Rainforest Relief ad features Dr. Jane Goodall, famed chimpanzee researcher and advocate. The ad call on viewers to contact Mayor Bloomberg to ask him to stop the city’s destruction of rainforests.

For airtimes and to view the ad in qucktime, click the link to the right.