Protesters Scale Crane at Atlanta, Georgia Home Depot Headquarters
10/29/98
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Title: Protesters Scale Crane at Atlanta, Georgia Home Depot
Headquarters
Source: Reuters
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 10/29/98
Byline: June Preston
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Five protesters scaled a 200-foot crane outside the
headquarters of Home Depot Inc. Wednesday and vowed to stay put until the
home improvement firm agrees to stop selling products made from trees cut
in old-growth forests.
Mark Westlund, a spokesman for San Francisco-based Rainforest Action
Network, said the protesters were prepared to stay on the crane ``as long
as it takes.''
The protesters climbed to about 50 feet from the top of the crane, which
had been working on a construction project at the north Atlanta
headquarters.
``Home Depot invited one of our people, Christopher Hatch, inside to see
what it would take to get the five people to come down,'' Westlund said.
``We're asking Home Depot to phase out sales of all old-growth wood
products. I think they would like to get word today that Home Depot plans
to start on the right path.''
The protesters said in a statement that Home Depot sold cedar, fir and
spruce products cut from the Great Bear forest in British Columbia,
mahogany doors from the Amazon, trim and decking from the Pacific
Northwest and paneling from Southeast Asia.
Only 22 percent of the world's old-growth forests -- ancient forests that
have not been logged -- are intact, most of them in Brazil, Canada and
Russia. Trees in such forests can live up to 2,000 years.
Suzanne Apple, Home Depot director of environmental programs, did not deny
that some company products were made from timber harvested in old-growth
forests, but said in a statement that the retailer was ``constantly
striving to raise the bar on environmental issues'' and had developed
alternative products.
``Our goal has been to educate consumers on environmentally responsible
products and practices,'' she said, citing the company's sponsorship of an
800 hotline telephone number and of a day dedicated to recycling.
Westlund praised Home Depot for social responsibility in other areas,
saying: ``They do so many progressive things and they are a cutting edge
company on so many fronts. Why not enter the 20th century all the way and
cut out all old-growth products?''