Fw: RAINFOREST ALERT: Europe Must End Their Deforestation Biofuel Energy Policy

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ACTION ALERT

Europe Must End Their " Deforestation Biofuel " Energy Policy

 

Rainforest Portal, a project of Ecological Internet, Inc.

http://www.rainforestportal.org/

January 3, 2007

 

TAKE ACTION

Industrial biofuels threaten Rainforests and European land

sustainability

http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=europe_biofuel

 

There exist serious concerns regarding the production of

plantation crops on lands cleared of ancient rainforests for

production of biodiesel in Europe in particular. For example,

remaining natural orangutan habitat and their rainforest

ecosystems in Southeast Asia are threatened by the unsustainable

harvesting of palm oil for the use of biofuels. The campaign to

stop Europe's " Deforestation Biofuel " Energy Policy is now at an

important decision point, as the European Commission is expected

to finalize the " Biomass Action Plan " policy by January 10th for

biofuels sourced from plantations cleared from ancient

rainforests. Earlier the European Parliament voted for rapid

market expansion before safeguards are put in place. Please tell

the European Commission now that they must prevent biofuels from

causing ever greater deforestation, biodiversity losses, and

evictions and impoverishment of local communities both in

tropical rainforests and Europe. Unrestrained industrial biofuel

expansion will accelerate, not slow down, climate change; as

peatlands, rainforests, forests and croplands across the world

are converted to energy crop monocultures and release their

carbon in the process.

 

TAKE ACTION NOW at:

http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=europe_biofuel

 

Discuss this alert at:

http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2007/01/alert_europe_must_end_their_d

e.asp