Biofuels and Orangutans-URGENT Action Alert

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Dear Friends of the Orangutan,

 

The unsustainable harvesting of palm oil for the use of biofuels may put

orangutans and their rainforest ecosystems at an even greater risk than ever

before.

 

Please take 2 minutes to do this action to help orangutans and rainforests at:

http://www.regenwald.org/protestaktion.php?id=124

 

The European Parliament have now voted on the Biomass Action Plan, but the

final decision will be made by the European Commission and is expected

around 10th January.

 

The Parliament have acknowledged that a lack of clear environmental

standards and safeguards could have significant negative effects, such as an

increase in tropical deforestation and agriculture intensification and

biodiversity losses in Europe and abroad, while failing to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions significantly. However, the majority of MEPs voted against

import bans against 'deforestation diesel' feedstocks, and for rapid market

expansion even before any possibly safeguards are put in place. They also

voted to abolish compulsory set-asides in Europe - even though the European

Environment Agency and conservation organisations throughout Europe have

shown that this will cause a large-scale decline in biodiversity across

Europe.

 

Finally, there are reports that the European Parliament voted to class peat

as a long-term renewable form of energy and biomass. Peat has as much or

more carbon per tonne as other fossil fuels, and the International Panel on

Climate Change states clearly that it should not be classed as renewable

energy or bioenergy.

 

Please tell the European Commission now that they must prevent biofuels from

causing ever greater deforestation, biodiversity losses, or evictions and

impoverishment of local communities. Unrestrained biofuel expansion will

accelerate, not slow down climate change, as peatlands and rainforests

across the world are converted to energy crop monocultures and release their

carbon in the process. Latin American NGOs are writing to the Commission to

tell them that they want food sovereignty, not biofuels for export to

Europe. By writing to the Commission now, you can support their efforts,

too.

 

A pre-prepared letter is at:

http://www.regenwald.org/protestaktion.php?id=124. However, please note

that personal emails would be even more effective and the email addresses of

all the relevant commissioners and (cabinet) members of their teams can be

found at this webpage. Please forward this alert widely to your networks

and contacts.

 

Thank you

 

 

 

 

Michelle Desilets, Director

Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK

www.savetheorangutan.org.uk

" Primates Helping Primates "

 

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