Экология сегодня. Макеева М.Н - 50 стр.

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the long-term health and productivity of their forests, have been taken over by a fewer number of corporate gi-
ants which were driven to dispose of the assets as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Pacific Lumber Company, owned by Maxxam, a Texas holding company, is regarded by its California
neighbors as the worst offender in this regard. Another large operator, Louisiana Pacific, was similarly dis-
trusted by its neighbors. When it was sold to new owners, a respected family firm, which also owns The Gap,
Inc. retail chain, expectations were raised very high. But the new company, Mendocino Redwood Co., has
quickly inherited much of the distrust, which was lavished on its predecessor.
These problems run much deeper than preservation of the old growth. When short-term profits rather than
long-term, sustained prosperity govern harvesting policy, the effect on the surrounding habitat is often devastat-
ing. Without natural protection, hillsides wash out into rivers, poorly constructed roads pour dirt and gravel into
streams, and mudslides pour down on private homes. One of the world’s richest and most beautiful natural
habitats has suffered enormously. The coho salmon and steelhead trout are disappearing, many forms of wild-
life are threatened, water is badly polluted by herbicides, and the quality of life for the human population is de-
clining. The State of California has offered astonishingly little protection to neighboring communities. And this
has led to local activism, which has been characterized, sometimes fairly but more often falsely, as dangerous,
irresponsible, and immature.
Unavoidably, the media cover the more flamboyant protesters. But closer examination always reveals a
much more serious, thoughtful, and highly localized line of resistance, depending more on moral authority than
finances to achieve results. There are many examples along the northern coast of California, such as respect-
able, grey-haired Mary Pjerrou, a long-time resident of the village of Elk, who leads the Redwood Coast Water-
sheds Alliance, to fight, in and out of court, to protect her community from destructive harvesting practices.
These local resisters have used every tool at their disposal, including the Endangered Species Act. The case of
the Northern Spotted Owl received national attention and occasional ridicule. It is helpful to keep in mind that,
to a local activist, the federal laws protecting the habitat of an endangered species have also become a useful
means of protecting the human habitat.
When the public at large finally reaches a consensus on an issue of this kind, solutions can emerge very
quickly. A decade or so ago, the public became aware that tuna fishermen were setting their purse nets on the
dolphins which swim just above the tuna schools, killing thousands of these appealing creatures every year. The
most effective public response came in the form of consumerism, stirring a response from the major food com-
panies to bring dolphin-free tuna to the supermarkets. Similarly, the coast redwood may now become a con-
sumer protectorate. Home Depot, the largest retailer of wood products in the world, recently announced that, by
the year 2003, it would carry only "certified" wood products. What this means, in practice, is that an independ-
ent organization has certified that the product being sold meets a standard of sustainability, according to the fol-
lowing criteria:
• timber sustainability – whether the company’s methods will provide for growth rather than depletion of
timber stocks over time;
• ecosystem maintenance – how well the company’s operation protects endangered species, stream health
and unique ecosystems such as old growth forests;
• financial viability strong enough to support good citizenship in the local community.
As one timber harvester said to a local newspaper: "The government hasn’t been able to change forest prac-
tices. The environmental movement has not been able to change forest practices. But the consumer, through the
purchase of sustainably grown and certified materials, will be able to finally change forest practices."
The many grass-roots organizations throughout California, which have been out on the front lines for years
– such as the Save the Redwoods League – deserve our respect and the time needed for us to understand the
issues. And, as consumers, we have the ability right now to start looking for the "certified" label when we visit
Home Depot or the local lumberyard.
Words and Expressions:
− to revere – уважать; чтить, почитать; благоговеть, боготворить, преклоняться
− devastation – опустошение; разорение
− logger – лесоруб, дровосек
− redwood – красное дерево или древесина
− trunk – ствол (дерева)
− concerted – согласованный
− courageous – бесстрашный, мужественный, отважный, смелый, храбрый

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