“QUIZ OF THE WEEK” ANSWERS
Greenpeace arrogantly believes that its misleading campaigns protect the boreal forest. But Canada’s strictly enforced forestry policy requires that ____ of harvested areas be regenerated.
Answer: 100%
That’s right, Canadian law requires that 100% of harvested areas be regenerated. In Quebec and Ontario, the provinces in which Resolute operates, about 75-80% regenerates naturally. The other 25% is promptly reforested. And these laws are strictly enforced. One recent report, funded with the support of the Forest Stewardship Council®, concluded:
Previous Week's Questions and Answers:
Greenpeace would like you to believe that the boreal is threatened by deforestation. What is the actual deforestation rate in Canada?
Answer: Less than 0.01%
Canada’s deforestation rate is very low – less than 0.01% each year – and that rate is actually falling! According to Natural Resources Canada, deforestation in Canada is generally the result of land conversion for agriculture (43%), resource extraction (34%) or urban expansion (12%). Read about other Canadian forest facts here.
How long has Greenpeace been ignoring pleas from boreal communities to halt their misleading campaign?
Answer: Over 33 Months
There has been a strong condemnation of Greenpeace and like-minded activists from mayors, First Nations leaders, union officials and provincial and federal governments. In May 2015, a large group of mayors, approximately 30 from Northern Ontario and Quebec, traveled to Ottawa to meet with federal officials and held a press conference criticizing the irresponsible actions and campaign of misinformation by Greenpeace and like-minded activists. Additionally, strong, critical letters have been sent to Greenpeace by union leaders, mayors, First Nations Chiefs and others. In August 2015, as part of our “Share Your Voice” campaign, members of boreal communities sent emails to Greenpeace and their allies demanding an end to misinformation.
When forestry workers and union leaders spoke out against deceptive campaigns, how did Greenpeace respond?
Answer: “Ignored Them”
In July 2015, union workers representing 20,000 men and women employed in Canada’s forest products industry expressed their increasing concerns with Greenpeace’s misinformation campaign. And in June 2017, trade unions representing workers across Quebec spoke out passionately about the economic damage and threats to jobs being caused by Greenpeace’s irresponsible attacks and unwillingness to engage with their communities.
Greenpeace claims that the boreal forest is being “destroyed.” How much of Canada’s forests are actually harvested each year?
Answer: Less than 0.5%
That’s right, less than 0.5% of Canada’s forests are harvested each year. It’s far less than the amount disturbed by insects, disease and forest fires combined. Additionally, Canadian law requires that 100% of harvested areas be regenerated. In Quebec and Ontario, the provinces in which Resolute operates, about 75-80% regenerates naturally. The other 25% is promptly reforested. Here are other Canadian forest facts that may surprise you.
When forced to answer in court, Greenpeace said their attacks on Resolute were:
Answer: “Rhetorical Hyperbole”
For years, Greenpeace and its allies have been waging a campaign based on the false claim that Resolute Forest Products is "destroying" the boreal forest. In legal filings, they admitted that their campaign amounts to "hyperbole" that doesn't adhere to “strict literalisms or scientific precision". Greenpeace publicly insists its claims against Resolute are factual, but in court, says that its campaign was more “figurative than literal” and “non-verifiable statements of subjective opinion[s].”
Dozens of communities in the boreal forest have asked to dialogue with Greenpeace over their misleading claims. How many has Greenpeace visited?
Answer: None that we know of.
For several years now, Greenpeace has routinely ignored the thousands of stakeholders across the Boreal who have pleaded with the activist organization to halt their attacks on responsible forestry. First Nations communities, local citizens, workers, mayors, and other leaders have written, phoned, marched, and shared their voices online. Their pleas have been disregarded.
