| My bowmaker just came back from a meeting of the Violin Society of America with this story: Cattle ranchers are clear cutting into the rain forests for more grazing land. Lumber distributors are salvaging the valuable wood, including the pernambuco, which they sell to the world's bowmakers. Greenpeace is up in arms about the loss of rain forest. OK so far. But, possibly because they are ineffectual among the people destroying the forests, their answer includes declaring war on bowmakers who buy the pernambuco. The Greenpeace public relations is formidable, and portrays bowmakers as environmental rapists who exploit and employ slave labor to get the wood. They conveniently ignore the fact that the trees would be cut down anyway, and any pernambuco not bought is left to rot by the people who cut the forest. If every bowmaker stopped using pernambuco, just as many trees would be cut down. However, it's a whole lot easier to vilify individual artisans in the civilized world than it is to grapple with the real cause. The bowmakers are organizing, but their strength will be no match for the self-ordained priests of the environmental feel-good industry.
The probable outcome will be heavy tariffs on pernambuco, which will drive up the cost of bows. My bowmaker will not use snakewood, and if forced, will find a new career.
[Edited by Don Higdon on 11-20-2000 at 11:52 AM]
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Certified to teach the Alexander Technique. see donaldhigdon.com
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