Tell Ethan Allen to Leave Tropical Forests Alone

Ethan Allen is buying tons of illegal tropical wood. Let's tell them to leave it alone.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Please Buy FSC Wood

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a concerned consumer, I join tens of thousands of others in asking you to end the use of wood from endangered forests and illegal sources. The simplest way to do that is to purchase wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

I am upset to learn that Ethan Allen, an industry leader, has done very little to protect endangered forests. There is now irrefutable evidence showing that your company purchases mahogany from tropical forests and your suppliers do not comply with foreign government controls. This is simply unacceptable.

Please immediately do a full assessment of your wood purchases and phase out wood from endangered forests and illegal sources. Take this opportunity to join other good corporate citizens and purchase wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
March 28, 2002

Background Information

KNOCK ON WOOD

Tell Ethan Allen it's time move off of ancient tropical wood.

The US has already destroyed over 90 percent of its ancient forests, and we're now the world's largest consumer of ancient forest products. Some companies -- such as Ikea, The Home Depot and Lowes -- have promised not to buy and sell products from endangered forests. Others have refused to take such a strong stand. And evidence shows that US furniture manufacturers are the largest illegal-timber consuming industry in the country. They buy illegally harvested timber from the Amazon and African forests and contribute to the destruction of ecosystems and indigenous communities.

Student activists all over the country are calling attention to evidence presented in a Greenpeace report that furniture manufacturers are buying illegally cut wood. Despite the shouting, many companies prefer to turn a deaf ear to the evidence of their harm. And Ethan Allen, one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the US, has been one of the deafest. Ethan Allen is an independent company and retails their own furniture in more than 300 outlets across the US, which makes them one of the largest furniture retailers in the country. Though they've seen the evidence, Ethan Allen refuses to assess their wood purchases or commit to a total phase out of wood from endangered forests.

Greenpeace, SEAC, Free the Planet! and other environmental groups are launching a campaign to highlight the questionable practices of Ethan Allen and others in the furniture industry. The groups are calling on Ethan Allen to stop buying timber that is illegally logged from endangered forests and to commit to selling timber that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Help radically change the US furniture industry -- tell Ethan Allen it's time move off of ancient tropical wood. They're going to radically change the US furniture industry once and for all. Want to help?

TAKE ACTION NOW:

Help radically change the US furniture industry.

TAKE MORE ACTION: Join in the fun! Greenpeace is organizing Days of Action across the county on April 14-16. For more info call Greenpeace's Meghan Conklin at 1-888-363-9197 or go to www.greenpeaceusa.org/forests .

FOR MORE INFO: **Greenpeace Report (requires Adobe Acrobat) http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/forests/mahogany.pdf **Greenpeace Media Center http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/forests/