Once more the timber industry is having to leap to the parapets to fend off attacks in the media and environmental groups on its technical and ecological performance. And, once more, on closer inspection, it turns out the criticisms are either partial or misinformed – or downright wrong.
First we have the new report from the World Resources Insititute which predicts, that at current rates of felling , 40% of the world’s ‘intact forests’ will be destroyed in the next 20 years. The WRI also firmly points the finger at the timber industry as one of the main culprits in this destruction.
The report was widely covered in the UK media and simply attributed to the WRI. At face value the latter sounds like some independent think tank with no particular axe to grind, possibly even a government organisation.
However, as you can see from its web-site, www.wri.org it is, in fact, a pretty hard-line environmental group. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with hard-line environmental groups per se. Quite the opposite, they have done fine work over the years bringing environmental issues to the fore in the media, government circles and public awareness. But it should be made clear to the media and the public that they do have their own agendas – if nothing else, to increase their income and boost membership. And the latter means they need to come up with high profile actions and headline grabbing reports on emotive issues.
And because groups like the WRI present themselves as impartial arbiters of the global good, the media don’t feel they need to canvas alternative viewpoints. The WRI report was also picked up by BBC Radio 2’s Terry Wogan show and he commented that its findings undermined the tree replanting claims in the wood. for good generic timber advertising campaign. Again the underlying assumption was that the views of the WRI could be nothing but fair and balanced. No need to consult industry with its supposed vested, commercial interests. If the latter had been asked, Mr Wogan and his listeners would have found out that the timber industry does not deny that environmental problems persist. But it can prove that huge strides are being made in forest management worldwide, that the industry is way out front in environmental certification, and that timber remains the most environmentally sound construction and manufacturing material.
The other assault on timber’s performance came in the London Evening Standard. An article on the UK’s new Part L Building Regulations said that old-fashioned sash windows could not meet the new standard’s stipulations on insulation. Kevin Cubbage, director of the British Woodworking Federation has pointed out that this is just plain wrong. Timber windows of all designs can be every bit as energy efficient as products in rival materials. And modern timber sash windows easily comply with Part L.
But, or course, there’s no point in whingeing about these latest attacks. Instead we should take them as reminders that the sector cannot afford to let down its guard. Just as the BWF, and in the case of the WRI report, the Timber Trades Federation and wood. for good campaign have been, we have to be ready to react instantly and forcefully put our views across. And as the media are not about to coming knocking on our doors for our opinions, we have to knock on theirs.
