Sumatra hunger strike: the last recourse for a forest community
Here in Riau, Indonesia, signs of the struggle to save the last of Sumatra’s forest is everywhere. Daily, the papers cover stories of timber and oil palm companies destroying forests,…
RSPO Dispatch: Duta Palma destroys rainforests and lives
On the first day of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Pak Jamaluddin was quiet. He said the air conditioning of Kuala Lumpor gave him the flu. He seemed…
RSPO to Sinar Mas and APP: No more clearing at Bukit Tigapuluh
As I have written about on Understory before, Sumatra’s Bukit Tigapuluh is one of the last great forests of the world. It’s breathtaking biodiversity, high conservation importance, and value to…
RSPO Dispatch: Tough times for climate and forests, but RSPO still intact
Contrary to a number of sensationalist media reports leading up to this year’s Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil, the RSPO is not breaking up. At the core of the…
RSPO Dispatch: Oil palm is not development
The RSPO is the world’s largest annual meeting of oil palm industry, environmentalists, human rights advocates, and, most importantly, community members. Today, I watched as a community member from Borneo…
Canadian Youth Confront Parliament as PowerShift Wraps Up
Written by Maryam Adrangi and Eriel Tchekwie Deranger. A group of Canadian climate change activists – including RAN campaigner Eriel Deranger, and numerous members of RAN Toronto – caused a…
REVEL is never a party to be missed, and this year was no different
Surrounded by larger-than life rainforest photos draped from the walls of the gorgeous Bentley Reserve the who’s who of the environmental movement gathered last night to pay tribute to two…
Indigenous peoples as the most effective protectors of rainforests
RAN believes that indigenous peoples are the best stewards of rainforests. Supporting this belief, a new study by researchers at U of Illinois and U of Michigan has added to…
The elephant in the oil palm plantation: China’s growing influence in the oil palm industry
Here at RAN the agribusiness campaign is hard at work pressuring US agribusiness companies, with a focus on the massive privately held company Cargill, to stop their dirty and dangerous…
Bangkok: Rich Countries try to kill Kyoto, International Youth declare “No Confidence” in Road to Copenhagen
cross posted from Grist. Today marked one of the final days of the Bangkok UN Climate Negotiations. With the end of this intersessional in sight, the International Youth Delegation (IYD)…