The Great Apes Film Initiative- Call for Action

Campaign against large biofuel power station in Bristol

2009-09-29T03:21:00.000-07:00

Biofuel company W4B Renewable Energy has applied for permission to build the largest of all proposed UK biofuel power stations in Bristol. They want to burn 90,000 tonnes of vegetable oil, most likely palm oil, every year. Over 22,000 hectares of oil palm plantations would be needed just to supply this one power station – more if any other feedstock was used. Three other biofuel power station applications have recently been refused by local authorities, including one in Portland by the same company, W4B.
This new demand for palm oil would, directly or indirectly, cause more rainforest and peatland destruction and thus more climate change, and more indigenous peoples, small farmers and other communities being displaced from their land.
Please go to
www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/w4bsep2009.php
to object online to the planning application. Please note that this email action is for people who live in the UK. If you do not live in the UK then please don’t take part.
If you live in or near Bristol and can help in any way with campaigning against this proposal, please contact info@biofuelwatch.org.uk

ALERT! Liberia's Plans to Resume Industrial Primary Rainforest Logging

2009-08-18T01:59:00.000-07:00

Notorious illegal loggers Samling of Malaysia; who have devastated rainforests globally including those of the Penan, are about to begin destroying Liberia's rainforests. The tropical timer logging industry remains corrupt, and there is no evidence first time industrial logging of primary forests is ever ecologically sustainable or reduces poverty.
Please call upon Liberian President to pursue development based upon standing rainforests, and reject entirely the resumption of industrial logging.

Please visit Rainforest Rescue's web page and participate at:
http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/

Oil giants destroy rainforests to make palm oil diesel for motorists

2009-08-18T01:53:00.000-07:00

Fuel companies are accelerating the destruction of rainforest by secretly adding palm oil to diesel that is sold to millions of British motorists.Twelve oil companies supplied a total of 123 million litres of palm oil to filling stations in the year to April, according to official figures obtained by The Times. Click here to read more

Please send letters in response to the first article, to letters@thetimes.co.uk. Letters should include an address and daytime telephone number.

European Commission must stop funding aviation biofuel development

2009-07-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

Biofuels could be used in aircrafts within the next 1-5 years, creating yet another market which will cause more climate change, deforestation, evictions, hunger and put endangered species at an even greater risk of extinction

To read more about this latest plan click here

To sign a letter to the European Commission, click here

Madagascar: Daewoo's Rainforest Land Grab in Nature's Paradise

2009-06-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

South Korean Daewoo Group intends to lease up to 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) of Madagascar's land for 99 years. This land contains significant amounts of irreplaceable biodiversity, rainforests and unique and endangered species. Find out how you can help by clicking here

Chimps 90 Percent Gone in a "Final Stronghold"

2009-05-12T00:18:00.000-07:00

In a recent article published by National Geographic researchers found some shocking statistics when setting out to survey chimpanzee populations in West Africa. When looking at chimp populations in Côte d'Ivoire they found that they had reduced by up to 90% - a devastating loss as Côte d'Ivoire is thought to hold half of all West African chimps.

Click here to read more about the story

Visit Wildlife Direct to find out how you can contribute to conserving great apes and their habitats and how you can support the people who put themselves on the line to protect them

The story of stuff

2009-05-08T00:42:00.000-07:00

Ever think where your ipod or radio or computer comes from?

The things we use in our everyday lives all come from somewhere....and more often than not have impacted on the environment in a negative way when being produced. Natural habitats for thousands of species around the world are being exploited, converted and destroyed to make our "stuff".

The video below highlights where "stuff" comes from, it is based on stats from USA but applies to consumers world-wide

(click on the picture or the link below to view the video)

The Story of Stuff

How much stuff do you really need?

How consumers fuel destruction of the rainforest

2009-05-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

Consumers around the world are fueling the rising demand for palm oil, speeding up the destruction of rain forests and killing off orangutans

Click here to read more about this rising problem

Palm oil is used in many major brands from household cleaning products, cosmetics to food we eat on a daily basis.

Here is a list of some major food brands that use palm oil:

Kellogg's (US) Uses palm oil in 50 products, mostly cereal bars but also cereals such as Special K and Crunchy Nut, where it binds together clusters. Does not buy sustainable palm oil.

Cadbury (UK) Pours palm oil into chocolate bars, including Cadbury Dairy Milk, where it is listed as vegetable oil. Uses 40,000 tonnes a year, none certified as sustainable.

Mars (US/UK) Uses palm oil in Mars Bars, Galaxy and Maltesers, where it is labelled "vegetable fat". Does not buy sustainable palm oil. Says it wants to.

Procter & Gamble (US) Makes Ariel, Daz and Fairy Liquid, where use of palm oil is suspected but unproven. Says it will have a sustainable supply by 2015.

Unilever (UK) World's biggest user of palm oil, which is found in Flora margarine, Pot Noodle, Comfort and Persil. Buys 1.6m tonnes a year – 4.2 per cent of global production. Acknowledging the damage to its reputation and the environment, Unilever set up the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

Kraft (US) Says it does not use palm oil in Dairylea cheese but does in other products. Buys half a per cent of global supply. Says it will move to sustainable palm oil by 2015.

Heinz (US) Uses palm oil to fry potatoes for Aunt Bessie's Potatoes, which it makes under licence.

United Biscuits (UK) Uses palm oil across its range including McVitie's Digestives and McCoy's crisps. Says it is reducing quantities.

Nestle (Swiss) Palm oil in KitKat, Quality Street, Aero and other brands.

Premier Food (UK) Uses in Hovis, Mr Kipling Cakes, Bisto Gravy and Cadbury cakes (made under licence). Hopes to move to a certified sustainable supply by 2011.

Pepsico (US) Makes Walker's crisps. Has one of the best corporate policies, only using palm oil in Quaker Oat Granola and Nobby's Nuts. Intends to phase out use on those two products.

As consumers you have the power to make these companies change their policies and move towards using ONLY sustainable sources of palm oil.

What you can do:
Write to the companies and urge them to make the switch to sustainable palm oil
Boycott the products until the company changes their policy
Spread the word!!- consumers have the power!!
Support companies who have made the switch or only used sustainable sources from the beginning

List taken from "How Britons fuel destruction of the rainforest"

Primates in Entertainment

2009-05-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

A recent episode of NBC’s 30 Rock featured a young gibbon named “Little Jenna” dressed in human clothing and toted around like a doll. The gibbon is also featured on NBC’s website promoting a “Best Dressed Pets” contest, which irresponsibly promotes keeping primates as pets. Gibbons used for entertainment, and kept as pets, suffer greatly. They are taken from their mothers at birth, causing irreversible psychological harm. Gibbons cannot be tamed, and when they approach adulthood they become aggressive and can no longer be controlled by humans. They often suffer painful surgical procedures such as dental extractions and amputation of fingers and toes to make them less dangerous around humans. When trainers are done with them, they are dumped at roadside zoos or backyard menageries, often doomed to live out the rest of their lives in solitary confinement. Gibbons can live up to 40 years, but the entertainment industry is done with them by the time they’re 8 years old. Please send a letter or email to NBC letting them know that gibbons are not props and shouldn’t be exploited for a cheap laugh. Please mention the consequences of exploiting apes for entertainment, and point out that promoting the keeping of primates as pets is irresponsible and offensive.

Contact Information:
Mr. Jeff Zucker, President
NBC Entertainment
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
(818) 840-4444

Or leave feedback at: http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Contact_Us/
Sample Letter:

Dear Mr. Zucker:

I was shocked and disappointed that NBC’s 30 Rock featured a young gibbon in a recent episode and also for marketing purposes on NBC’s website for the “Best Dressed Pets” contest. Gibbons cannot be tamed and suffer greatly when exploited for entertainment. They often suffer painful surgical procedures such as dental extractions and amputation of fingers to make them less dangerous around humans. When they approach adulthood they become aggressive and are typically dumped at roadside zoos and other substandard facilities to live out the rest of their long lives in misery. Further, gibbons are an endangered species and using them for entertainment purposes serious hinders conservation efforts and sends the inappropriate message that primates make good pets. I hope you will terminate this irresponsible web promotion and choose never to exploit apes for entertainment purposes again. I look forward to hearing from you on this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Help for Baxter Chimps needed

2009-05-07T09:16:00.001-07:00

Here is some information that was sent to GAFI about chimps that have been used in medical trials and are now facing an uncertain future

Dear friends,

for those of you working on primates and/or animal experiments: The Austria-based ngo Four Paws has asked us for assistance in finding an animal friendly solution for 41 chimps that have been used for HIV experiments and are now at risk to be dumped in inadequate destinations. Maybe some of you would like to become active and write a protest letter to the responsible enterprise BAXTER or even activate your members and activists to write protests as well.

I copied some text from Four Paws, which you can use:

“41 chimpanzees abused in experiments and infected with HIV and Hepatitis by pharmaceutical company Immuno/Baxter (producers of vaccinations, plasma and blood medications) have spent the past six years in an abandoned safari park in Austria. A responsible solution for the afflicted animals has been put off for years. Now the group is to be divided. The “healthier” apes will soon be taken to an inappropriately equipped zoo in Hungary - the future of the other chimpanzees remains uncertain. … wellbeing of the chimpanzees must not be sacrificed once again in favour of short-sighted plans!”

“Dear XX,

Hereby I am urging you to find an adequate solution for the lab chimps abused by Immuno / Baxter, which does justice by the chimpanzees. To deport some of the traumatized apes that have been used in HIV and Hepatitis research to a Hungarian zoo is as much of a stopgap as leaving the animals in the equally inappropriate facility in Gänserndorf. If Baxter continues to support this solution, the company will fail to live up to their responsibilities towards the chimpanzees.

The 41 chimpanzees have been ruined physically and mentally for the interests of the pharmaceutical companies for years, following their legally questionable import to Austria. The transfer of these abused apes to Safari Park Gänserndorf, which has gone bankrupt in the meantime, was advised against massively at the time. This should not be followed by the next kneejerk solution, putting in jeopardy the established social groups. A sound solution must be found, which meets the special welfare needs of these debilitated apes.

By taking over Immuno, Baxter has assumed the responsibility for these chimpanzees. Therefore I urge you to use the capacity of your corporation to prevent the realization of the current plan, and to work for a mutual and sustainable solution for the “Baxter Chimpanzees”

For more information contact:

Dr. Signe Preuschoft from Four Paws (Tel: +43-1-895 0202-43; Mobile: +43-664-8485 554; Fax: +43-1-895 02 02-99; signe.preuschoft@vier-pfoten.org )