Lately I have been so pleasantly amazed at how many wonderful changes to create a more sustainable future are really happening all around us, but this one is a bit mind blowing even for me.
There is legislation that is 110 years old called the Lacey Act, which was amended in 2008 and April 1st was the start for enforcing the transparency rules for the sourcing of wood used in the manufacture of guitars, revolvers, hand tools, pool cues, flooring, certain furniture and even caskets.
“The declaration requirement of the Lacey Act is a critically important part of achieving greater supply chain transparency and legality, the over-arching goals set forth by Lacey,” said Alexander von Bismarck of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in a press release. “For the first time, companies are required by law to ask basic questions about their supply chains and understand exactly where their wood comes from.”
This is being taken seriously. Last year the headquarters of Gibson Guitars were raided when federal agents were tipped that they were using illegally logged rosewood from Madagascar. The CEO even had to take a leave of absence from the Rainforest Alliance (maybe he needed to visit some rain forests). The Lacey Act forbids the manufacture of any of the listed products if the wood is illegally sourced. So watch out Smith and Wesson, you had better green your guns as well.
This is an important step in the right direction to preserve our forests, and hopefully have manufacturers focus their attention on using more sustainable wood products like bamboo, the fastest growing woody plant that exists. Bamboo can grow 24 inches in a day, it has been said that you can practically watch them grow before your eyes.
Once again, where we choose to spend our dollars every day makes a huge difference and sends out a potent message to companies of all sorts of products that we really do care about how the things we use in our homes and offices are made and where the resources to make them come from.
So try to pay a bit more attention to what you pick up to buy. There are more and more choices out there in the products that we buy, and the food that we eat, from companies that are doing good, or at least better…