Saving the Paradise Forests - Healthy Life Essex

I received this e-mail from GreenPeace today and wanted to share it with you.

“My name is Valerie Phillips and I am the head of the Greenpeace forests campaign. I am writing to you today to ask for your help.

The Paradise Forests of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Indonesia are among the most culturally rich and biodiverse areas on earth. Every time I visit, I’m filled with joy but also sadness because multinational logging companies are plundering the Paradise Forests for cheap timber to sell in countries like Australia.

In Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Islands I have witnessed how Greenpeace programs help give the forest back to indigenous communities. It is a slow process but we are making a difference. We aim to end illegal logging and ensure a safe future for the forests.

Please donate to save the Paradise Forests

In September 2009 a team of scientists discovered a ‘lost world’ in an ancient PNG crater. They found 40 previously unidentified species, including giant butterflies, cuscus and frogs.

What a remarkable discovery! Can you believe that there are animals and plants here that the world hasn’t even discovered yet?

Unfortunately, the forests aren’t remote enough to keep away the industrial logging companies. Many unique endangered species are under threat, including the Bismarck flying fox, Queen Alexandra’s birdwing (the world’s largest butterfly) and several species of tree kangaroo.

Please donate to save the Paradise Forests now

There is another side to unsustainable logging that affects us all. Forest destruction is responsible for about 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, fuelling climate change. A 2008 report by the University of Papua New Guinea states that 83% of PNG’s accessible forest area will be cleared or degraded by 2021 if current trends are allowed to continue.

With your support, Greenpeace can save the Paradise Forests by:

• forcing governments to safeguard forests under law and enforce harsher penalties on illegal loggers
•  helping landowners set up sustainable ecoforestry enterprises
•  promoting Good Wood alternatives to consumers.

I don’t want to imagine a world without forests nor can we survive in a future without them.

Thank you for your generosity,

Valerie Phillips
Head of forests campaign,
 Greenpeace Australia Pacific

PS, Every second of every day, 1.5 acres of rainforest are destroyed forever. Indonesia’s forests are so damaged that it now has more endangered species than anywhere else on Earth. If you would like to fund our forests work, you can help save these vulnerable animals.