Guest guest Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Dear Friends of the Orangutan, You may have seen recent news reports about the link between palm oil in everyday supermarket products and the decline in orangutan populations. A consumer pamphlet has been developed by BOS UK, which provides photographic evidence and witness accounts of the horrific abuse wild orangutans suffer when they enter palm-oil plantations in search of food. Below, please find ready-made letters for you to print off, sign and send to the top five UK supermarkets. Additional contact details, including email addresses, appear below these. Our rescue centres are over-flowing with displaced and injured wild orangutans, including orphaned infants, from areas where their forest habitat is being relentlessly cleared and converted into oil-palm plantations. The Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project houses more than 380 victims alone, with rescue teams operating on a daily basis. Meanwhile the centre is under immense pressure to find areas of forest where these orangutans can be released once they are healthy again. However, with the accelerating rate of forest clearance, these animals have a dwindling chance of ever being returned to the wild. The pamphlet and its accompanying website (www.SafePalmOil.org) demonstrate how you can make a difference, and help save the orangutan from extinction. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead As always, thank you for your kind support, Michelle Desilets Sir Terry Leahy, Chief executive Tesco House Delamare Road Cheshunt Hertfordshire EN8 9SL Dear Sir Terry, It has recently come to my attention that, as a direct consequence of my actions as a consumer, the Orangutan is in imminent danger of becoming extinct. As a regular customer of yours I would like you to help me make informed purchase decisions and help prevent this wonderful species going into terminal decline. Palm oil is used in 1 in 10 of all consumables sold in British supermarkets (though it is often labelled as vegetable oil). Two of the main areas where it is produced are Borneo and Sumatra – the only two islands where orangutans still exist in the wild. Rainforests are being converted to oil palm plantations at an alarming rate, despite the existence of over 25 million hectares of previously-cleared land In Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) alone. The rainforest targeted for new plantations is the last remaining habitat of species such as the Orangutan which, at the current rate of population decline, are likely to be extinct by the end of this decade. Not only is the Orangutan threatened by loss of habitat, but palm oil plantation workers are also deliberately killing animals when they enter plantations, as they are perceived to be a threat to their crops. Many hardwood products carry labels that show that they have not been sourced from fragile rainforest. In a similar way, I would like your company to clearly label products containing palm oil sourced from plantations that have not involved forest conversion, and withdraw palm oil based products that you cannot guarantee have come from sustainable sources. I have written to all the major British supermarkets and think that it would be very good PR for you to be the first to take a strong moral stance on this issue. I do not believe that your company is aware of the role that it is playing in forcing the Orangutan to the brink of extinction (this issue has only recently come to light) but for further background information please see: www.palmoil.org.uk www.cockroach.org.uk www.helenbuckland.co.uk/palm/ Also please see below some shocking facts that I hope will encourage you to take immediate action. I look forward to receiving information on your company’s policy regarding palm oil. If a policy does not already exist, please tell me what steps you will be taking to ensure that I can shop in your store safe in the knowledge that I am not contributing to wiping out yet another species. With thanks in advance, Killer facts: According to the Indonesian Forestry Department the Orangutan population in 1990 was 200,000. In the year 2000 there were only 50,000 Orangutans left. Their demise is directly attributable to the encroachment of the palm oil plantations on their habitat. The Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation estimates that if palm oil concessions continue to replace forest at the current rate then within 3 years a viable future for the orangutan in the wild will be impossible. This means that by 2008, if action is not urgently taken, then Orangutans will have reached the point of no return. Mr Andrew Bond, Chief Executive ASDA Plc. ASDA House Southbank Great Wilson Street Leeds LS11 5AD Dear Mr Bond, It has recently come to my attention that, as a direct consequence of my actions as a consumer, the Orangutan is in imminent danger of becoming extinct. As a regular customer of yours I would like you to help me make informed purchase decisions and help prevent this wonderful species going into terminal decline. Palm oil is used in 1 in 10 of all consumables sold in British supermarkets (though it is often labelled as vegetable oil). Two of the main areas where it is produced are Borneo and Sumatra – the only two islands where orangutans still exist in the wild. Rainforests are being converted to oil palm plantations at an alarming rate, despite the existence of over 25 million hectares of previously-cleared land In Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) alone. The rainforest targeted for new plantations is the last remaining habitat of species such as the Orangutan which, at the current rate of population decline, are likely to be extinct by the end of this decade. Not only is the Orangutan threatened by loss of habitat, but palm oil plantation workers are also deliberately killing animals when they enter plantations, as they are perceived to be a threat to their crops. Many hardwood products carry labels that show that they have not been sourced from fragile rainforest. In a similar way, I would like your company to clearly label products containing palm oil sourced from plantations that have not involved forest conversion, and withdraw palm oil based products that you cannot guarantee have come from sustainable sources. I have written to all the major British supermarkets and think that it would be very good PR for you to be the first to take a strong moral stance on this issue. I do not believe that your company is aware of the role that it is playing in forcing the Orangutan to the brink of extinction (this issue has only recently come to light) but for further background information please see: www.palmoil.org.uk www.cockroach.org.uk www.helenbuckland.co.uk/palm/ Also please see below some shocking facts that I hope will encourage you to take immediate action. I look forward to receiving information on your company’s policy regarding palm oil. If a policy does not already exist, please tell me what steps you will be taking to ensure that I can shop in your store safe in the knowledge that I am not contributing to wiping out yet another species. With thanks in advance, Killer facts: According to the Indonesian Forestry Department the Orangutan population in 1990 was 200,000. In the year 2000 there were only 50,000 Orangutans left. Their demise is directly attributable to the encroachment of the palm oil plantations on their habitat. The Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation estimates that if palm oil concessions continue to replace forest at the current rate then within 3 years a viable future for the orangutan in the wild will be impossible. This means that by 2008, if action is not urgently taken, then Orangutans will have reached the point of no return. Sir Kenneth D Morrison CBE, Executive Chairman Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc. Thornton Road Bradford BD8 9AX Dear Sir Kenneth, It has recently come to my attention that, as a direct consequence of my actions as a consumer, the Orangutan is in imminent danger of becoming extinct. As a regular customer of yours I would like you to help me make informed purchase decisions and help prevent this wonderful species going into terminal decline. Palm oil is used in 1 in 10 of all consumables sold in British supermarkets (though it is often labelled as vegetable oil). Two of the main areas where it is produced are Borneo and Sumatra – the only two islands where orangutans still exist in the wild. Rainforests are being converted to oil palm plantations at an alarming rate, despite the existence of over 25 million hectares of previously-cleared land In Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) alone. The rainforest targeted for new plantations is the last remaining habitat of species such as the Orangutan which, at the current rate of population decline, are likely to be extinct by the end of this decade. Not only is the Orangutan threatened by loss of habitat, but palm oil plantation workers are also deliberately killing animals when they enter plantations, as they are perceived to be a threat to their crops. Many hardwood products carry labels that show that they have not been sourced from fragile rainforest. In a similar way, I would like your company to clearly label products containing palm oil sourced from plantations that have not involved forest conversion, and withdraw palm oil based products that you cannot guarantee have come from sustainable sources. I have written to all the major British supermarkets and think that it would be very good PR for you to be the first to take a strong moral stance on this issue. I do not believe that your company is aware of the role that it is playing in forcing the Orangutan to the brink of extinction (this issue has only recently come to light) but for further background information please see: www.palmoil.org.uk www.cockroach.org.uk www.helenbuckland.co.uk/palm/ Also please see below some shocking facts that I hope will encourage you to take immediate action. I look forward to receiving information on your company’s policy regarding palm oil. If a policy does not already exist, please tell me what steps you will be taking to ensure that I can shop in your store safe in the knowledge that I am not contributing to wiping out yet another species. With thanks in advance, Killer facts: According to the Indonesian Forestry Department the Orangutan population in 1990 was 200,000. In the year 2000 there were only 50,000 Orangutans left. Their demise is directly attributable to the encroachment of the palm oil plantations on their habitat. The Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation estimates that if palm oil concessions continue to replace forest at the current rate then within 3 years a viable future for the orangutan in the wild will be impossible. This means that by 2008, if action is not urgently taken, then Orangutans will have reached the point of no return. Mr Justin King, Chief Executive Sainsburys Plc.33 Holborn London EC1 2HT Dear Mr King, It has recently come to my attention that, as a direct consequence of my actions as a consumer, the Orangutan is in imminent danger of becoming extinct. As a regular customer of yours I would like you to help me make informed purchase decisions and help prevent this wonderful species going into terminal decline. Palm oil is used in 1 in 10 of all consumables sold in British supermarkets (though it is often labelled as vegetable oil). Two of the main areas where it is produced are Borneo and Sumatra – the only two islands where orangutans still exist in the wild. Rainforests are being converted to oil palm plantations at an alarming rate, despite the existence of over 25 million hectares of previously-cleared land In Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) alone. The rainforest targeted for new plantations is the last remaining habitat of species such as the Orangutan which, at the current rate of population decline, are likely to be extinct by the end of this decade. Not only is the Orangutan threatened by loss of habitat, but palm oil plantation workers are also deliberately killing animals when they enter plantations, as they are perceived to be a threat to their crops. Many hardwood products carry labels that show that they have not been sourced from fragile rainforest. In a similar way, I would like your company to clearly label products containing palm oil sourced from plantations that have not involved forest conversion, and withdraw palm oil based products that you cannot guarantee have come from sustainable sources. I have written to all the major British supermarkets and think that it would be very good PR for you to be the first to take a strong moral stance on this issue. I do not believe that your company is aware of the role that it is playing in forcing the Orangutan to the brink of extinction (this issue has only recently come to light) but for further background information please see: www.palmoil.org.uk www.cockroach.org.uk www.helenbuckland.co.uk/palm/ Also please see below some shocking facts that I hope will encourage you to take immediate action. I look forward to receiving information on your company’s policy regarding palm oil. If a policy does not already exist, please tell me what steps you will be taking to ensure that I can shop in your store safe in the knowledge that I am not contributing to wiping out yet another species. With thanks in advance, Killer facts: According to the Indonesian Forestry Department the Orangutan population in 1990 was 200,000. In the year 2000 there were only 50,000 Orangutans left. Their demise is directly attributable to the encroachment of the palm oil plantations on their habitat. The Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation estimates that if palm oil concessions continue to replace forest at the current rate then within 3 years a viable future for the orangutan in the wild will be impossible. This means that by 2008, if action is not urgently taken, then Orangutans will have reached the point of no return. Sir Stuart Hampson Executive Chairman, Waitrose Plc. John Lewis Partnership Carlisle Place London SW1P 1BX Dear Sir Stuart, It has recently come to my attention that, as a direct consequence of my actions as a consumer, the Orangutan is in imminent danger of becoming extinct. As a regular customer of yours I would like you to help me make informed purchase decisions and help prevent this wonderful species going into terminal decline. Palm oil is used in 1 in 10 of all consumables sold in British supermarkets (though it is often labelled as vegetable oil). Two of the main areas where it is produced are Borneo and Sumatra – the only two islands where orangutans still exist in the wild. Rainforests are being converted to oil palm plantations at an alarming rate, despite the existence of over 25 million hectares of previously-cleared land In Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) alone. The rainforest targeted for new plantations is the last remaining habitat of species such as the Orangutan which, at the current rate of population decline, are likely to be extinct by the end of this decade. Not only is the Orangutan threatened by loss of habitat, but palm oil plantation workers are also deliberately killing animals when they enter plantations, as they are perceived to be a threat to their crops. Many hardwood products carry labels that show that they have not been sourced from fragile rainforest. In a similar way, I would like your company to clearly label products containing palm oil sourced from plantations that have not involved forest conversion, and withdraw palm oil based products that you cannot guarantee have come from sustainable sources. I have written to all the major British supermarkets and think that it would be very good PR for you to be the first to take a strong moral stance on this issue. I do not believe that your company is aware of the role that it is playing in forcing the Orangutan to the brink of extinction (this issue has only recently come to light) but for further background information please see: www.palmoil.org.uk www.cockroach.org.uk www.helenbuckland.co.uk/palm/ Also please see below some shocking facts that I hope will encourage you to take immediate action. I look forward to receiving information on your company’s policy regarding palm oil. If a policy does not already exist, please tell me what steps you will be taking to ensure that I can shop in your store safe in the knowledge that I am not contributing to wiping out yet another species. With thanks in advance, Killer facts: According to the Indonesian Forestry Department the Orangutan population in 1990 was 200,000. In the year 2000 there were only 50,000 Orangutans left. Their demise is directly attributable to the encroachment of the palm oil plantations on their habitat. The Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation estimates that if palm oil concessions continue to replace forest at the current rate then within 3 years a viable future for the orangutan in the wild will be impossible. This means that by 2008, if action is not urgently taken, then Orangutans will have reached the point of no return. Asda Visit www.asda.co.uk and click on 'customer services' T: 0500 100 055 Customer Services, ASDA House, Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds, LS11 5AD Co-op E: customer.relations T: 0800 317 827 Customer Relations, The Co-operative Group, FREEPOST MR 9473, Manchester M4 8BA Marks & Spencer customer.services retailcustomer.services T: 020 7268 1234 Marks & Spencer Retail Customer Service, Chester Business Park, Kings Meadow, Wrexham Road, Chester CH4 9GA Sainsbury's justin.king Visit www.sainsburys.co.uk and use their e-mail facility on the contact us page. T: 0800 636 262 Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd, 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT Somerfield E: customer.service Visit www.somerfield.co.uk and click on 'contact' T: 0117 935 6669 Customer Services, Somerfield Stores Ltd, Somerfield House, Whitchurch Lane, Bristol BS14 OTJ Tesco terry.leahy customer.service customer.services T: 0800 505555 Customer Services, Tesco, FREEPOST SCO2298, Baird Avenue, Dundee DD1 9NF Tesco PLC New Tesco House Delamare Road Cheshunt Hertfordshire England EN8 9SL Waitrose E: customer_service T: 0800 188 884 Customer Services, Waitrose Ltd, Doncastle Road, Southern Industrial Estate, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 8YA Wm Morrisons Call 01274 356813 01622 712 987 01924 870 000 Customer Services, Morrisons Supermarket, Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate, Wakefield WF2 OXF Booths E: cdee T: 01772 251 701 Buying director, 4, 5 & 6 Fishergate, Preston PR1 3LJ Iceland Foods E: via www.iceland.co.uk T: 01244 842 842 Iceland Foods plc, Second Avenue, Deeside Industrial Estate, Flintshire CH5 2NW Michelle Desilets BOS UK www.savetheorangutan.org.uk www.savetheorangutan.info " Primates Helping Primates " Please sign our petition to rescue over 100 smuggled orangutans in Thailand: http://www.thePetitionSite.com/takeaction/822035733 _________ To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Security Centre. http://uk.security. 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