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Greenpeace Says Barbie Doll is Vandal of Indonesian Forests
June 08, 2011

A Greenpeace sign on Mattel headquarters in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday reads: A Greenpeace sign on Mattel headquarters in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday reads: 'Barbie: It's over. I don't date girls that are into deforestation.' Greenpeace investigators found that toymaker Mattel are using packaging from Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). APP has been exposed many times for wrecking Indonesia’s rainforests to make products such as packaging. (EPA Photo)
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TsimShaTsui
4:48pm Jun 10, 2011

What annoying about NGO like Green Peace is the point they raised seems to be more crucial compare to social problem surrounding palm oil and paper business. This kind of NGO only can complaint but not helping matter because of no alternate solution they can offer. Green peace is only seeing problem from one angle and ignoring other angle which also is crucial. Let's say if Mattel is successfully intimidated and cut the contract, so do other users of palm oil product from Indonesia, one important question is what will be substitute of those business that give advantage to Indonesian people? Whose interest does Green peace represent? People? Which people? Environment? Why do they only bother about deforestation relate to big company but not doing anything about damage environment caused by nature itself? How about big emission gas producers? If only want to raise voice as reminder, there should be better way instead of acting like thugs.

DrDez
1:24pm Jun 10, 2011

JC

The problem is that as with a lot of environmentalists the science is often flawed or just so biased its worthless = PLUS the doom sayers have been proved to be wrong so many times

However with forests there can be no arguements - The satelite imagery is pretty damming and unlike say an icecap which grows and sinks in a cyclic nature (over decades maybe centuries) once forests have gone they have gone often replaced by farms/mines/urban sprawl..

All this type of stunt does is promote Barbie not greenpeace

Offside - Good spot


Offside
10:41am Jun 10, 2011

Dear JG please fix the glaring typo in the paragraph under the photo.

jchay
8:53am Jun 10, 2011

I agree with @DrDez. Whilst I don't like greenpeace, they do carry an important message and awareness in protecting our nature for the future generation. However greenpeace needs to be transparent and share their supporting data and information for their strong accusations/allegations, or else their legitimacy and credibility will be more and more "questionable" and people will take them less seriously as year goes by.

DrDez
8:36pm Jun 9, 2011

Herb

Many activists in Greenpeace are Asians so Im not sure about your racial slur...??

In terms of no other solutions - many countries (most notably Norway recently) have given huge sums of money to prevent deforstation but alas despite bans it continues due to illegal activity and corruption

Whilst I dont like greenpeace the message is one we must all take on board if our kids and grandkids are to have a home -

Living like 1500 years ago?? what a pointless statement


Greenpeace on Wednesday accused Mattel, the US maker of Barbie dolls, of contributing to the wanton destruction of carbon-rich Indonesian forests and habitats of endangered species like Sumatran tigers.

The environmental group said packaging used in Barbie and Ken boxes contained timber products from Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), which it described as a "notorious" destroyer of Indonesia's dwindling natural forests.

"Barbie destroys natural forests and pushes rare species such as tigers to the brink of extinction," Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Bustar Maitar said.

"Mattel, which makes Barbie, must stop wrapping the world’s most famous toy in rainforest destruction."

He said APP was a "notorious rainforest destroyer which has been exposed many times for wrecking Indonesia's rainforests to make throw-away packaging".

"APP is bad news for Indonesia's forests. It treats Indonesia as nothing more than a vast disposable asset, grabbing rainforests that are vital to forest communities," Maitar said.

"Mattel and other toy companies like Disney have a responsibility to support clean, low carbon development. They should drop APP right now and instead support responsible Indonesian producers."

APP, a subsidiary of paper and palm oil giant Sinar Mas, said it was "shocked" by the allegations and denied that its activities posed any threat to endangered species or forests.

"I was quite shocked that they attacked us. We are proud to use recycled paper and we are trying to promote the use of recycled paper," APP managing director for sustainability Aida Greenbury said.


AFP