I am well aware that most people out there cringe a little when we hear about or see the individuals who are trying so ardently to make eye contact with us at a mall or in the street as we walk in their direction. We try to walk fast and look away, some even decide to turn around and go another way, but sometimes it’s no use the guy/gal with the green shirts that read GREENPEACE have trapped us and we are now being ‘harassed’ into signing a petition of some sort or worse yet… asking for a donation. Oh the horror!
I understand that the reason for this is because most people don’t agree with their tactics and simply believe them to be ‘extremists’. However, it must also be admitted that even though we may not agree with how they work, we must be grateful for their work. What better example than what they are trying to do in the Indonesian Rainforest, I received this thank you email from them this morning and thought I would send it along to spread some of the knowledge of what is going on across the world. Oh, and yes there is another Rainforest other than the Amazon. There’s quite a few actually: Costa Rica, Madagascar, and Borneo just to name a few.
“Because of you, we’re one step closer to protecting the last Sumatran tigers.
Our campaign to get Mattel, the world’s biggest toy company, to stop doing business with Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has ended in a resounding victory. This is great news for Indonesian rainforests and the communities and wildlife that depend on them. But there’s more.
Mattel has not only instructed its suppliers to avoid wood and paper from companies involved in controversial forest destruction like APP, but also to increase the amount of recycled paper and wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in their packaging.
APP has been driving the destruction of rainforests in Indonesia for years, including the forest homes of the last 400 Sumatran tigers. Despite expensive ad campaigns claiming they are environmentally responsible, Greenpeace has shown they are continuing to drive the destruction of tiger habitat.
That’s why Greenpeace launched an international campaign to go after their customers, knowing that, once the company’s true colors were exposed, companies would drop them and help protect Indonesia’s forests. That campaign is working.
In June we launched a report calling out leading toy makers for wrapping their toys in packaging made from rainforest destruction. Within a month, Lego agreed to drop companies involved in deforestation, including APP. Now we can celebrate Mattel adding to that progress, dropping APP and releasing a global paper buying policy.
I’m so proud of what we’ve done together. The news today is a big win for Indonesian rainforests, Sumatran tigers and our planet. But our work isn’t done. APP is still destroying Indonesian rainforests, and there are still companies doing business with them. We need to keep the pressure on until APP finally learns that rainforest destruction is bad for business and cleans up its act. There is no time to waste if we want to protect the last Sumatran tigers and the rainforests they call home.
With your support, I know we will succeed.
For the forests,
Rolf Skar
Greenpeace Senior Forest Campaigner”
If you would like to donate or learn more please visit greenpeace.org. Remember it’s our planet, thus we have to take care of it and those that can’t help protect themselves (this goes for both humans and animals). 
Voz y Vida™ 