Guest guest Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Protesters tell Tesco don’t ruin rainforest By Benedict Moore Bridger • Save the orang-utan from extinction': FOE protesters outside Tesco FRIENDS of the Earth (FOE) campaigners took to the streets on Saturday in a bid to stop Tesco and other major supermarkets from contributing towards the extinction of the orangutan. The environmental group protested outside Tesco on Northfields Avenue because they say the much-loved ape is at risk because millions of hectares of rainforest in south east Asia are being destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations. Ealing Friends of the Earth campaigner Maria Martin said: " Palm oil is found in one in ten supermarket products and the industry is threatening the survival of the orangutan. " We want Tesco to find ways of sourcing palm oil without destroying precious rainforest, and we want the UK Government to stop British companies profiting from the destruction of the environment overseas. " The environmental protestors say the oil is usually labelled as just " vegetable oil " . Friends of the Earth wrote unsuccessfully to Tesco earlier this year, asking it to trace its palm oil and adopt minimum production standards. Ms Martin said: " Tesco's failure to act means that shoppers are unwittingly contributing to rainforest destruction. " Tesco have said, however, they were aware of the " sensitive " palm oil issue. A spokesman for Tesco said: " We have arranged a meeting with other retailers through the British Retail Consortium to consider the evidence and progress made by the RoundTable for sustainable Palm Oil. " Ealing Friends of the Earth campaigners collected more than 100 postcards at the weekend, signed by local shoppers, calling on local MPs Piara Khabra and Steve Pound to support new legislation that would help stop UK supermarkets and manufacturers from buying products from destructive sources. Ms Martin said: " Customers don't want to buy products that are linked to rainforest destruction, or be responsible for the extinction of species like the orang-utan. " If the powerful UK market demands palm oil from sustainable sources, then the industry will green up its act to meet that demand. " Recent research published by Friends of the Earth shows that almost 90 per cent of orang-utan habitat has now disappeared. Research forecasts that the species could be extinct in as little as 12 years. http://www.ealingtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.647547.0.protesters_tell\ _tesco_dont_ruin_rainforest.php 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 _________ Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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