PRESS RELEASE Ecological Internet Surges with Two Decisive Victories Follows science showing right on biofuels and natural ecosytems, and recent news of three preliminary victories
February 10, 2008 By Ecological Internet Contact: Dr. Glen Barry, [EMAIL PROTECTED], +1 920 776 1075 (Earth) - Ecological Internet's Earth Action Network reports two stunning victories in campaigns to promote global ecological sustainability. Colombia's Constitutional Court has declared their Forestry Bill unenforceable because it treats forests only as wood, and indigenous and black peoples that have protected forests for decades were not consulted [1]. And French President Sarkozy has announced gold mining activity by a Canadian company in French Guiana's rainforests has been permanently cancelled [2]. We had earlier reported progress on these measures. These decisive victories come as Ecological Internet (EI) has recently reported important initial success in helping to freeze oil palm development in Woodlark, Papua New Guinea; ending rainforest timber use for park benches in NYC; and keeping ancient timbers out of Ocean City, New Jersey's boardwalks and in rainforest canopies [3]. Efforts continue to finalize and expand these recent initial strategic victories. Ecological Internet's ecological science based environmental advocacy continues to prove itself time and time again. For years EI has highlighted impacts of ill-conceived biofuel development. EI led successful efforts to highlight the tremendous carbon released to "protect" the climate by oil palm production in Indonesia's peatlands, making it an international issue. We were amongst the first to work on global biofuels' impact upon ecosystems, food and water. This week science caught up with EI's ecological intuition, as a definitive report shows biofuel production releases huge amounts of carbon as it almost always results in clearing of natural ecosystems [4]. In each case EI's large international protest campaigns supported active, well organized local opposition. Their efforts had become stymied by local power elites, and international protest came at just the right target and time to shame them internationally, strengthen local demands, and delay inevitable start of ecological destruction to allow time to pursue final victory. "Assuming success raising funds, EI expects to continue leading and contributing to saving the world's rainforests and climate," says EI's President Dr. Barry [5]. "The world needs to stop looking for easy answers to failing global ecosystems; and commence radical, even revolutionary, means to protect our atmosphere, land, water and oceans. The Earth and humanity's very survival -- being -- depends upon protecting and restoring intact ecosystems, ending burning of fossil fuels, reducing human population and consumption, and other sufficient actions to avert global ecological collapse." ### Additional information: [1] The original URL for the protest campaign is found at: http://www.ecoearth.info/alerts/send.asp?id=colombia [2] Ecological Internet worked closely with Pita Verweij of the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation. The original URL for the protest campaign is found at: http://www.ecoearth.info/alerts/send.asp?id=french_guyana [3] A list of selected recent environmental victories by EI can be found at: http://www.ecoearth.info/kudos/ [4] More on emissions from land clearance to grow biofuels: http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2008/02/biofuels_from_c leared_natural.asp [5] Twice yearly EI appeals for donations, we seek to increase our foundation support, and tax-deductible gifts are always appreciated at http://www.ecoearth.info/donate/ --- You are subscribed to ecological_internet as [EMAIL PROTECTED] Before unsubscribing, please consider modifying your list profile at: http://www.ecoearth.info/subscribe/[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or click here: http://email.ecoearth.info/u?id=84041H&n=T&c=F&l=ecological_internet To subscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or visit here: http://www.ecoearth.info/subscribe/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
