Waribashi

Did you know, Japan is the number one consumer of rainforest wood,
importing half of all that is sold in the world? It imports nearly five
times the value of timber of South Korea, the number two user. China,
Taiwan, and Italy are the next on the list. Nearly all of the trees in
the Phillipines, Thailand, Indonesia, and other South East Asian
countries are gone. The rainforests are disappearing at 20,000,000
hectares every year - an area about the size of Great Britain.

Much of the wood Japan buys is used in construction. (The government
has an unusually large budget for construction, with 16% of the
work-force employed there.) Imported logs are made into plywood, which
is then used for molds while pouring concrete. Often, after being used
once or twice, they are incinerated.

Waribashi (disposable wooden chopsticks) waste the second greatest
amount of wood. The use of waribashi began in the 1870's. At that time
they were made from scraps left by woodworkers. But now, about 410,000
cubic meters of timber are cut every year just to make waribashi. Japan
consumes 130,000,000 waribashi everyday, 11,000,000,000 pairs a year.

Because Japan's technology is so advanced, and because it's traditional
lifestyle was not a wasteful one, surely this problem can be improved.
A substitute should be available to make concrete forms, waribashi,
paper and cardboard, rather than using irreplaceable rainforest trees.
How can we help?

Perhaps, most importantly, be aware of such issues, and share your
knowledge with other people. In times where governments are failing to
find a solution, it's the responsibility of the people to make change
happen.

And, an easy way to make a big difference is to refuse waribashi when
they are offered to you in stores and restaurants. Carry your own
chopsticks with you!


http://www.geocities.com/green_in_ja...waribashi.html