By While many of us realize on some fleeting, uncomfortable level that our generation holds the future of countless species and ecosystems in our hands, rarely is the choice to allow extinction to happen – or to fight like hell to stop it – so clear as it is right now with humankind’s closest relative, the orangutan.
The historic tragedy unfolding right now in the Tripa rainforest of Indonesia is a wake up call to the world that the iconic orangutan is in serious danger of becoming the first of the great apes to be pushed to extinction by reckless corporate destruction of their rainforest habitat. If this unspeakably sad fate comes to pass, no one will be able to say we didn’t see it coming.
Home to Indigenous communities and critical to the survival of endangered Sumatran orangutans, Tripa is still in peril from the land clearing fires started by palm oil companies in March. Check out the expose on Tripa we released just last week.
The End of the Icons coalition has called for an International Day of Action on Thursday, April 26, to save this 130 million year old forest and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve from reckless palm oil expansion.
The goal of this Day of Action is to generate hundreds of photos of people holding powerful signs with a message calling on the Indonesian President SBY to enforce the law and save critically endangered Sumatran orangutans by stopping the illegal palm oil expansion inside the Tripa peat forests which led to almost 100 fires. The images will be used in demonstrations in Jakarta as well as to generate media.
Please register your interest by emailing endoftheicons@gmail.com for a full information packet.
In addition to taking our own photo petition, RAN is taking part in this day of action by urging our supporters to call Cargill and demand that the company adopt supply chain safeguards to ensure it’s not profiting from this tragedy. Over 300 RAN members have already called. Can we count on you?
The agribusiness giant trades a quarter of the world’s palm oil, and with nearly 50% of all packaged goods at the grocery store now containing palm oil in one form or another, that means companies like Cargill are complicit in connecting anyone who shops at the grocery store to the destruction of Indonesia’s precious rainforests via their current un-safeguarded supply chain.
Cargill needs to hear from you – and hundreds of other rainforest advocates like you – so they will take action at this critical moment. Call Cargill now!