Catching the Government’s Attention

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004433574_trees23m.html

I recently came across this article from the Seattle Times titled, “State praised for logging sustainability” where Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) earned an award for their sustainable logging practices that overall saved 145,000 acres of forest in the Pacific Northwest region. While this is an excellent accomplishment, how and why did the Washington state government aim to achieve these top grades? Or more specifically, what made the DNR start to regulate deforestation more in our state? The answer that comes to mind is the activists in the Pacific Northwest.

Activists in Washington State such as the Seattle Audubon Society, Conversation Northwest, and several others have been working hard for the past twenty years in hopes of conserving Washington State’s forests. These organizations are excellent examples of a public sphere, where individuals come together to discuss their interests of a certain topic, and thus forming a public opinion about it. Organizations such as those listed above believe that deforestation in our state is a public issue. It is a public issue because it affects all of society in regards to our air quality and the speeding up of climate change (allowing more emissions into the air), which is why so many environmentalists fight to bring it to our government’s attention. Public opinions on issues, such as deforestation, leads to political actions by governments, which is what led to Washington State’s ‘sustainable’ logging practices.

Although in the article, thousands of acres of forestry were saved, environmentalists in the Pacific Northwest viewed it only as a first step to many in protecting the forests throughout the area. The forests that were referenced in this article pertained to forests located in popular recreation sites such as Tiger Mountain in Issaquah and Capitol Forest in Olympia. While activists were happy with this accomplishment, they know that more needs to be done, and want the government to do more. "This is a relatively easy, safe step and not really changing management practices,” said Cantrell, Executive Director of Audubon, "If it is good enough for the liberal Puget Sound region, it should be good enough for all the lands around the state." So, what do we need to do to get the government to listen to our concerns? The answer is with the activists: continue to create a strong public opinion about deforestation that the government will listen to, and thus act on.

"When people generally are aware of a problem, it can be said to have entered the public consciousness. When people get on their hind legs and holler, the problem has not only entered the public consciousness — it has also become a part of the public conscience. At that point, things in our democracy begin to hum.” - Hubert Humphrey

Here is some cool organizations right here in the PNW who are fighting against deforestation:
http://www.seattleaudubon.org/sas/
http://www.conservationnw.org/

BY: Stephanie A.

Framing Weyerhaeuser

(By Sadie W.)

Because they are such a massive corporation around the world, and happen to be based in our Pacific Northwest, Weyerhaeuser will be the focus example for logging companies and the framing for and against them.

Who frames Weyerhaeuser in the media and why?

People for the Environment vs. Weyerhaeuser and friends:


Weyerhaeuser:
Weyerhaeuser calls themselves a “forest products company.” This name has quite a different effect than just “logging company” would. Using “forest products company” makes it sound like the forest is just naturally producing something for them to take, not that they are hurting the forest or leaving nothing behind once that have taken their “products”. This is one of the small ways (but one of the first things you see on their website (http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/))that Weyerhaeuser frames themselves to look more innocent, more environmentally friendly, and more concerned about communities and the future than they really are. Other things you see on the Weyerhaeuser home page include,
“Making the Most of our Resources”
“Sustainability” (can be found 5 times on the home page) and
“Can a tree cure cancer? Clothe you? Fuel your car?” (Because then it would be okay to deforest our backyards and the whole world?)
Weyerhaeuser is adamant to prove that they are not hurting the environment as all the activists claim. The main way Weyerhaeuser frames themselves to the public as being a good, helpful, wholesome, concerned company is through commercials on TV. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vapmz0MaEs

Weyerhaeuser is hoping people will look at the cute innocent children and view the company as nurturing and caring, as well as think that it’s okay to cut down millions of acres of local forest as well as precious rainforests all over the world, as long as everyone recycles (cause that is gonna happen). There are other, more current, commercials that talk about replanting of trees and secret new innovative ideas for wood. Key words: talk about.

But, as always, there are two sides to every story, and the other side is willing to do more than just talk….

Environment Lovers Everywhere:

The environmental activists against Weyerhaeuser don’t go about their framing as peaceful and serene and some of the Weyerhaeuser commercials appear. The activists are mad about the logging and its harmful effects on the environment, and therefore the people and animals that inhabit this environment. There are documented land and mudslides that give fault to Weyerhaeuser logging sites, ruining people’s homes, farmland, as well as clogging up rivers and streams and polluting them. (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011140187_forestcetification21m.html) Future blogs will go more deeply into the endangered species (from the PNW) further hurt and homeless because of the Weyerhaeuser deforestation, like many owls, wolves, and caribou. There are many people as well, around the world but specifically in the PNW as well, who depend on forests for survival. (http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/harmful-effects-of-deforestation-131219.html)

The fact that deforestation has risen 8.5% in the last five years, shows that logging companies really aren’t that concerned, and make environmental activists become very upset, and take action in framing companies like Weyerhaeuser as the bad guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3MVqGyaz5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_t86w3TTNU



People, Businesses, Corporations, can all be framed in many different ways to appear to the public however the framer desires them to appear. In the case of logging, I would have to say science prevails, it tells the truth better than anyone else, and the upside of logging cannot possibly outweigh the downside of deforestation.


-Sadie W.