Day 073 - 13 Jan 95 - Page 43


     
     1
     2   Q.   So long as there is a necessity for paper in the world, do
     3        you agree it is better to take it from a plantation forest
     4        than it is from old growth forest?
     5        A.  It is better to take it from established old plantation
     6        forests.
     7
     8   Q.   So long as the need for paper continues to increase in the
     9        world, by what means do you suppose that human beings will
    10        provide themselves with paper?
    11        A.  There are, in fact, a lot of alternative fibres.  For
    12        instance, Kenaff is a fibre which can be grown in desert
    13        areas.  From the information I have seen, it can actually
    14        grow seven times the biomass of boreal forest.  There is
    15        another fibre which is being touted and is now legally
    16        allowed in Europe, which is in fact a denatured cannabis
    17        plant, hemp, but it is a denatured one or detoxified one.
    18        Again, this can provide greater bulk, greater yield, than
    19        northern boreal forests.
    20
    21        There are people actually now producing paper both out of
    22        hemp, which is related to canvas, and Kenaff.  One of the
    23        problems is the forest industry is so locked into forestry,
    24        and all their machinery around forest, it is very hard for
    25        them to look at these alternative fibres.  Bagasse is
    26        another alternative fibre.  It is the waste from sugar
    27        cane.  Cotton waste can be used for fibres for paper and,
    28        in fact, forests are not the only fibre that can be used
    29        for paper.
    30
    31   Q.   So do I take -- I think I have understood you correctly --
    32        your position to be this, Mr. Hopkins, that OK, as the
    33        lesser of two evils one can take timber from established
    34        plantations to make paper but, first, one should not take
    35        it from old growth forests and, second, one should not
    36        establish new plantations to provide timber either for
    37        industrial or for paper making usage; is that right?
    38        A.  It is better to take it from plantations.  There is an
    39        argument for plantations on cleared land, agricultural
    40        land, but, yes, it is better to take it from existing
    41        plantations than from old growth.
    42
    43   Q.   If the supply from existing monoculture plantations is not
    44        sufficient, why, then, one should look to alternative
    45        sources; is that right?
    46        A.  No.  You can look to alternative sources immediately.
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  In your own time can you pursue that because
    49        I would like to know if it is suggested that we can meet,
    50        say, even 10 per cent of the world's demand for paper 
    51        beyond that which can be obtained from recycled products, 
    52        from Kenaff or other fibres.  Suppose we were going to, 
    53        what sort of area of the world would have to cover the
    54        wherewithal for those fibres?
    55
    56   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, that was ------
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  In your own way and time, Mr. Rampton,
    59        I would like to know some answers to those questions.
    60

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