mill funding

Latest snipet:

"Swedish bank Nordea won't fund Gunns pulp mill in current form

Swedish bank Nordea has become the latest potential financier of the proposed Gunns Ltd pulp mill in the Tamar Valley to push for tougher environmental safeguards.

In a statement released on Twitter, Nordea head of external communications Rune Kibsgaard Sjhelle said the company has not made a concrete decision on whether to fund the project, but said environmental factors would be taken into account.

"We cannot comment on potential customer relationships," Mr Sjhelle said. "However, we would not finance a project in the form presented in the media so far."

Curiously, the statement only made reference to the proposal as "presented in the media".

The timber company has been under pressure from prospective European backers to address some of the objections raised by anti-mill campaigners.

On Wednesday, Gunns announced that the mill use 100 per cent plantation timber, which was one of the key demands being pushed.

The announcement was made possible by Gunns' acquisition of the assets of failed agricultural projects manager Great Southern Ltd.

While the plantation timber issue appears to have been addressed, the use of chlorine bleaching in the production process remains. "

Amazing that a minority group has such influence!
Same minority group that has no influence, it seems, to reduce or limit the massive forest destruction around our equatorial band, to produce cheap timber, cheap paper / pulp for paper, quite possibly NO re-forestation programme ~ they can't afford ($$)for.
Wonder when we vote with our cash, and stop buying product that has it's beginnings in the rain-forest zones of our globe?
Maybe labelling of products (as with the diamond industry - 'Blood Diamond' movie), to keep us as consumers informed?
But no, minority group is attempting to influence the company trying to do the right thing! Wasting time, and forcing the change in technology, possibly ALSO increasing the production cost, which in the scheme of things, increases our sale cost of the pulp?

I remain amazed!
Could go on, but hopefully the powers to be have the decency to look at the global picture, and THEN see where Gunns sits in relation to that noted earlier, and where we have a positive contribution in the global warming issue!

Cheers :)