It’s been a powerful few weeks here at Amazon Watch. Our work is being recognized around the globe, and support continues to grow in every corner. The primary reason? We’re confronting the most important issues of our time, doing it with both power AND integrity, and achieving big results.
By defending the rights of our indigenous partners and educating the world about the threats to the Amazon, we’ve changed the conversation. Vatican officials had said that Pope Francis would not address the environment during his trip to South America. However, after pleas from indigenous leaders, civil society, and the many thousands of you who called on the Pope to urge President Correa to leave the oil in the ground in Yasuní National Park and to respect indigenous rights, the Vatican changed course. In his first papal visit to South America, Pope Francis passionately called on Ecuador to protect the Amazon and issued a strongly-worded apology for the grave injustices the Catholic church had perpetrated on indigenous peoples.
Shortly after that, the news hit that Amazon Watch is one of several environmental organizations receiving support from Leonardo DiCaprio and his foundation. This support is critical to our plans to continue working with indigenous allies and our global network of supporters to engage world leaders in the campaign to keep fossil fuels in the ground from the Amazon to the Arctic. #keepitintheground!
ACTION ALERT
Tell ExxonMobil to Disclose Their Funding
Recently an ExxonMobil representative said, “We do not support those who deny the reality of climate change.” We know that’s not true. ExxonMobil is a member and supporter of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a group known for spreading climate disinformation.
As you know, earlier this week UCS released a new report documenting nearly 30 years of climate deception by major fossil fuel companies. In it, leaked documents show that ExxonMobil has been involved in decades of deception. For example, evidence shows they funded climate contrarian research from 2005-2010 and are still a member of the American Petroleum Institute who was behind a large campaign to sow doubt about the science of climate change and continues to question the science today.
On this day in 1940, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who first took office in 1933 as America’s 32nd president, is nominated for an unprecedented third term. Roosevelt, a Democrat, would eventually be elected to a record four terms in office, the only U.S. president to serve more than two terms… read more »
The day you signed your first petition on Change.org, you became a part of something big. Today we’re celebrating 100 million people all over the world coming to Change.org to start or sign a petition. More than one million petitions have been supported by people like you, and there’s a unique story behind every signature.
We’re so proud of the change you have been a part of, and we’re excited to share this moment with you. Join us in celebrating 100 million people using Change.org: track the impact of the growing Change.org community.
Last week we exposed Maruchan—America’s #1 instant noodle brand—as the ‘worst performing’ laggard in the Snack Food 20 as it had yet to make any commitments regarding its use of the controversial ingredient: Conflict Palm Oil.
With your help we turned the heat up on the company and the instant noodle giant has responded by issuing its first palm oil commitment. Thank you!
We can’t let Maruchan off the hook, however. The commitment it issued falls short of what is required. The company is only requiring its suppliers to meet the entirely insufficient RSPO standard by 2020. To make matters worse, this commitment only applies to operations in the US and not products sold worldwide. Maruchan has a massive worldwide reach; this is simply not enough.
Maruchan can and must do better. We have to keep the pressure on, so today activists are calling Maruchan and demanding it step up and be a leader by adopting and rapidly implementing a truly responsible palm oil policy.
Be a Seed for Change 
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