[Oz-envirolink] Launch of Palm Oil Consumer Campaign

[Ruth Rosenhek]

Dear Friends,

Please join the Palm Oil Consumer Campaign that 
we will be launching in Australia & New Zealand 
on World Environment Day - June 5th 2007. As you 
may already be aware, palm oil plantations are 
having a devastating affect on peatland 
rainforests, endangered orangutans and local 
communities and palm oil also poses health 
concerns. To learn more about this issue, please 
read the excellent synopsis, Palm Oil: Panacea or 
Environmental Nightmare at 
http://www.climate.net.au/resources/palm_oil.htm. 
To see a brochure similar to the one we will be 
distributing, please visit 
<http://www.naturealert.org/>www.naturealert.org 
,a UK based NGO.

Let us know if you are able to support this 
campaign by spreading the word to your members 
and communities, actively campaigning, contacting 
local media etc.  (A full list of ideas is 
appended below!). Feel free to contact me to 
discuss further.

Please pass this letter on to other groups in 
your community including school environment 
groups, climate action networks etc.

If you do not have the resources to actively 
participate in the campaign at this time, please 
consider becoming a Campaign Supporter. This 
would mean that your organisation's name may be 
included or referred to in some media releases or 
publications and on the Palm Oil Action website. 
Below is a list of Campaign Supporters thus far.

With thanks,

for the Earth

Ange Palmer
Coordinator, Palm Oil Action Group

on behalf of POAG members:

Rainforest Information Centre 
(<http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au>www.rainforestinfo.org.au)
Australian Orangutan Project 
(<http://www.orangutan.org.au/>www.orangutan.org.au)
Friends of the Earth (<http://www.foe.org.au>www.foe.org.au)
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation 
(<http://www.orangutans.com.au>www.orangutans.com.au)
Humane Society International (<http://www.hsi.org.au/>www.hsi.org.au)
Australian Conservation Foundation 
(<http://www.acfonline.org.au>www.acfonline.org.au)

_____________________________________

Ideas! Ways to Support the Campaign

Newsletter piece/ brochure** mail out to your members
Section/link on your web site
Info at market stalls
Hand out brochures** at shopping centres/KFC
Demos in front of supermarkets/KFC
Letter writing days
Media releases ( best backed by some event)
Public meetings with guest speakers
Film night
Write articles/approach journalists
Set up meetings with supermarket managers
Talks to service groups etc
Visits to local MPs
Arrange local radio interviews
Targeted mailouts to high profile personalities in your
community and chefs, GPs, scientists etc
Info to teachers ...of science, geography
Assist us with funding this campaign
**If you will require brochures please state 
number required. The brochures are large (2 
doublesided pages of A3), heavy weight and full 
colour both sides. They cost about 25 cents each 
so any donations towards printing costs are 
appreciated, but not essential.

What we can do for you :

Provide a central website as portal for 
information dissemination (palmoilaction.org.au) 
– in the process of being developed
Providing factual written material and high quality photographs
Provide master copy of high quality campaign 
brochure. You may use this to produce a supply of 
brochures for your group to use
Provide a pool of speakers who can be available 
for presentations, interviews etc.
Provide an email forum for activists interested 
in this issue. To join please email 
<mailto:ange at grasp.org.au>ange at grasp.org.au and 
ask to be added to the Palm Oil Action Group loop 
list.

Campaign Supporters include :

Mission Beach Environmental Management Group Inc.
Nature Conservation Council
North  East Forest Alliance.
Climate Change Action Network
Rainforest Rescue
Southern Peninsula Indigenous Flora and Fauna Assoc. Inc.
Global Climate Change Action
Huon Valley Environment Centre
Sumatran Orangutan Society (New Zealand)
_________________________________________________
Angela Palmer
<mailto:ange at grasp.org.au>ange at grasp.org.au
Skype ange.palmer1
The Palm Oil Action Group
Box 368
Lismore, NSW 2480
Australia

_________________________________________________


--
Rainforest Information Centre
Box 368, Lismore 2480 NSW
(02) 66897519

http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/

rainforestinfo at ozemail.com.au

Watch our latest film, Appiko on the web at  http://www.appiko.org
In the tradition of Gandhi and the Chipko 
movement,they used direct action to save the 
forests of the Western Ghats. An inspirational 
story of a non-violent grass-roots movement that 
arose in the vilages of Southern India.
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