Tag Archives: Rainforest

I just wanted to make sure you saw the heart-breaking news. A young Sumatran tiger was found caught in a wild animal snare on Asia Pulp & Paper concession land in Indonesia. Nearly starved to death and clinging to life, the young tiger didn’t make it. That means we have one less left in the wild. That’s why I’m asking for your help. We can stop APP in their tracks, but to do so takes resources.

For just 33 cents a day you can save the remaining tigers, the forests and our planet.
-Rolf

We’ve lost one more. Tigers are getting closer to extinction every day. trapped tiger.JPG

www.greenpeaceusa.org

Warning, the image below is disturbing.

One more, gone. I just found out that a Sumatran tiger was found on Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) land, clinging to life with its paw caught in a wild animal snare. By the time staff and volunteers on the ground reached the young male, his front leg was mangled from his struggle to free himself from the trap. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he was severely dehydrated and all but starved to death.

I wish we could say we were able to save him, but the tiger died despite rescue efforts. This is heart-breaking news I’d hoped I wouldn’t have to deliver to you.

Making matters worse, while this poor animal struggled and starved in his trap, deforestation was going on nearby. That’s right, while volunteers watched the last life drain from the tiger during rescue efforts, bulldozers were mowing down the forest for APP next door to the tragic scene.

We are losing these tigers. APP isn’t showing any signs of stopping their destruction of forests, the forests the last 400 tigers depend on to survive.

Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve made huge strides toward protecting their forest homes these last few weeks! But this recent death is a sobering reminder of the daily threats to tigers. We need to redouble our efforts to save the lives of Sumatran tiger parents and cubs and make every day count in the difficult fight ahead.

With your help, we’ll fight to protect these last tigers by saving their forest homes, keeping them far from poachers, traps and other human hazards.

How bad is it? Every day, an area of Indonesian rainforest half the size of Manhattan is destroyed.

Paper companies like APP will keep destroying tiger forests every day until they learn that huge companies around the world – like Nestle, Kraft and Staples – will avoid business with them unless they clean up their act. We’re working hard to make sure companies around the world understand that rain forest destruction is bad for business. After releasing a “Barbie Breakup” video viewed well over a million times, unfurling giant banners at Mattel’s headquarters, earning world-wide media attention and sending them more than 60,000 letters – Mattel has said they will take steps towards cleaning up their supply chain. But Indonesia’s rainforests- and the last tigers that call them home- need them to follow up those words with action.

Protecting Sumatran tigers requires reliable resources, and we can’t afford to lose one more now that momentum is on our side. Thanks to support from people like you, we have made great progress. But with just approximately 400 left, survival of every tiger and every tiger cub matters. The Bali tigers went extinct in the 1950s. The Java tigers went extinct in the 1980s. We can and must put an end to devastating extinction crisis.

When we kicked off this campaign, we spoofed the Barbie brand, using humor to expose a very serious problem. This footage brings that seriousness into sharp focus. We need a base of sustained support only you can provide to keep up the pressure up and safeguard tigers in Indonesia.

Thank you for your support. Together, we’ll win this fight.

– Rolf

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

1st Victory …Rolf Skar, Greenpeace

07/21/2011 Nativegrl77

You have helped us achieve something amazing and I can’t thank you enough. Thanks to you, we have shown a global spotlight on Mattel and exposed Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) for destroying tiger forests. As a result, the toy industry is starting to clean up their act.

There’s no doubt they know you are watching.

Since our campaign kicked off last month, the response has been amazing. More than 60,000 of you sent letters to Mattel urging them to drop APP and adopt policies to protect forests. But Mattel isn’t the only toy company we are holding accountable. In our recent Toying With Extinction report, we showed that Hasbro, Disney and Lego were wrapping toys in rainforest destruction.

I’m happy to say we have our first victory!

Just last week, Lego became the first toy giant to stand up for Indonesian forests. This is big news, and sign that our efforts are working. Lego announced a plan to end business with companies linked to deforestation, reduce its packaging, maximize recycled paper content, and source only certified sustainable wood for any virgin tree fiber it uses. That’s great news for rainforests and the people and wildlife that depend on them.

As for Mattel, they have said publicly they will drop APP and make a new policy to protect forests. But for forests, actions are more important than words. Greenpeace is keeping the pressure on Mattel — the world’s largest toy company — until they back up their statements with real changes.

You might wonder, do toy companies really matter? The answer is: absolutely. Mattel claims to sell three Barbie dolls every second. That’s just one of their toys. And Mattel is just one of the toy companies we’re changing. Add them all up, and the toy industry uses a lot of paper.

Through our high-profile, global campaign, we are sending a clear message to companies around the world that rainforest destruction is bad for business. We couldn’t do that without you.

Our work isn’t done yet, and its critical that we keep up the pressure. I’ll update you as we achieve more together. But for now, it’s also important for us to pause, celebrate our latest victory, and say thanks.

For the forests,

Rolf Skar, Senior Forest Campaigner
Greenpeace

P.S. Our dedicated staff around the world — including those on the ground in Indonesia — are fighting hard to save critically endangered Sumatran tigers. With your help, we can bring them back from the brink of extinction. If you haven’t already please make a donation to Greenpeace today.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

RAN:Against all odds -Rebecca Tarbotton, Rainforest Action Network

03/31/2011 Nativegrl77

Some days I feel like the impossible is happening right in front of my eyes. Against insurmountable odds, small groups of people really can make incredible change.

Less than a year ago—with you by our side—RAN took on the U.S. children’s publishing industry. We confronted massive, well established publishers, like Simon & Schuster and Penguin. Sure, these publishers have a couple hundred times our staff and resources—but that’s never stopped RAN from taking on a fight.

Together, we got the top eight publishers in the country to make significant commitments to protect Indonesia‘s rainforests. We are winning.

That’s the difference your support makes—and that’s why I’m asking you to show that support today by making a donation to RAN.

We’ve just got two stubborn publishers left to go in this fight—Disney and HarperCollins. Ironic that the companies that have profited from The Jungle Book and The Giving Tree are the last ones left standing in the fight to get rainforest destruction out of kids’ books. We need your support today to tackle these final contenders.

I know we’re making a difference, and I know it’s because of you. I can’t actually express just how much your support means to Rainforest Action Network and the survival of forests around the world. So I’ll just keep it simple. Thank you.

For the planet,

Rebecca Tarbotton

Executive Director

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support RAN …they support rainforests …a message from Executive Director

03/28/2011 Nativegrl77

A home for Indigenous communities. A sanctuary for endangered species. A priceless ecosystem.

That’s what Indonesia‘s rainforests are to me. But for unethical logging companies Asia Pulp & Paper and APRIL, these forests are nothing more than a source of cheap paper—and their bottom line is wiping out rainforests that can’t ever be replaced. We need your support today to stop this tragic destruction.

Many U.S. children’s book publishers have been using paper from these unethical companies, pitting children’s books against the survival of Indonesia’s rainforests. But, thanks to your actions and generous support, this is changing.

Already eight major publishers committed to get Indonesian rainforest destruction and human rights violations out of their supply chain. That’s major. Your support made this possible.

Disney Publishing and HarperCollins, on the other hand, have been lagging behind. Finally, last week Disney announced their new policy. Though this is a step in the right direction, their policy is terribly weak—and HarperCollins has ignored all calls to change their ways. With your support, we can push Disney and HarperCollins to go the distance to protect rainforests.

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=TVtEorsQa1urJhdD7OQGg2Q0%2FaHxGn20

Disney’s new policy does not begin to address the rights of forest communities or really help to protect rainforests. If we can move Disney and HarperCollins, it will mean that the top ten children’s book publishers will no longer have Indonesia’s rainforests in their books, and that you and I will have shifted the status quo for an entire industry.

Just two more to go. We can do this!

Please make a generous donation today to get these major publishers on board to protect Indonesia’s rainforests.

Believe me when I say there is no time to lose in this battle. Indonesia is losing its forests at an alarming rate., If we don’t act quickly, these forests—this home, this sanctuary, this precious ecosystem—will be lost forever. Please make an urgent contribution today.

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=TVtEorsQa1urJhdD7OQGg2Q0%2FaHxGn20

Thank you for your support,

Rebecca Tarbotton

Executive Director

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Will Disney do right by rainforests?

03/23/2011 Nativegrl77

Reading a bedtime story to your kids shouldn’t mean you’re contributing to the destruction of irreplaceable rainforests. Pretty obvious, right? But Disney Publishing and HarperCollins disagree.

These two publishing giants are using paper linked to Indonesian rainforest destruction to print their children’s books. We can change that.

We’re taking the fight to protect Indonesia‘s rainforests straight to the companies responsible for this tragic destruction—and we need you with us. Make a gift today to help RAN shine a spotlight on those responsible for the destruction of Indonesia’s tropical forests.

Already, you and I are having a significant impact. After months of conversations and negotiations—and good old-fashioned RAN activism—eight of the largest American book publishers have committed to get controversial Indonesian fiber out of their books.

We need your support to make sure these eight publishers do what they say they’re going to and push the last two laggards, Disney and HarperCollins, to follow suit. Donate today to support the campaign to protect Indonesia’s rainforests.

www.ran.org

Rainforest-free paper is a readily available alternative – there’s no reason for these publishers to support the devastation of a precious and fragile ecosystem. It’s up to us to make sure Disney and HarperCollins get the message and change their ways.

Help us keep the momentum going by making a donation to stop the destruction of some of the richest tropical forests on the planet.

www.ran.org

Every little bit helps. Your voice – and your generous support – can change the way HarperCollins and Disney do business. We’ve already had a big impact with this campaign. Only with your support can we take on—and win—ambitious fights like this. Click here to make your gift.

www.ran.org

Let’s show them what committed activism can do and make sure this story has a happy ending. Nobody should have to choose between books and rainforests.

Thank you for all that you have done to get us this far—and all that we will do together in the future.

For the forests,

Robin Averbeck

Rainforest Free Paper Campaign