Petitions
PETITION SUCCESS: POLAR BEARS LISTED AS THREATENED
Following three years of demands by conservation groups, the US government has listed polar bears as a "threatened species" owing to a drastic reduction in Arctic sea ice. This is the closest acknowledgement of the threat of global warming that has been shown by the USA administration.
However, the government insisted the step did not mark a policy shift to attack global warming and incorporated into the listing decision that federal agencies need not consider the impact of global warming pollution on the polar bear; it has also proposed a separate regulation reducing the protections the polar bear would otherwise receive. For the full story please click here
Thank you to all who signed the petition to encourage the USA administration to list polar bears.
For information on Born Free's work with polar bears please click here
Elephant culling in South Africa
Born Free is extremely sad to report that as of 1st May, despite widespread international protests, the ban on culling of elephants as a management practice in South Africa has been lifted. While the practice of culling is being slated as the option of last resort for South Africa, and no specific plans to cull elephants have yet been announced, Born Free remains gravely concerned about this irresponsible and poorly-informed decision. We question the notion that there are too many elephants in South Africa, and believe there are a suite of alternatives to culling widely available.
Sign Born Free's petition against the culling here
More information on the elephant cull here
Help stop environmental degradation caused by biofuel expansion
Europe’s biofuel targets are already the cause of massive monoculture expansion across the world. Europe’s bioenergy policy is the main driver for palm oil expansion in South-east Asia, resulting in large-scale deforestation destroying wildlife and the environment it inhabits, very high greenhouse gas emissions, evictions, human rights abuses and more poverty. Both the draft new Fuel Quality Directive and the draft Renewable Energy Directive will, if agreed in their current form, set even higher post-2010 targets and encourage yet more destructive industry investment. Despite promises of ‘sustainability standards’, nobody has proposed any credible mechanism for avoiding serious negative direct and indirect impacts from agrofuel production.
Born Free has lobbied European politicians on this issue and have had support from several who are opposed to these targets.
Help prevent environmental disaster in Brazil
On 9th February 2008, the acting governor of the Brazilian state Bahia, Jaques Wagner, signed a decree which permits the construction of an industrial zone over a 17 km² area. This will be linked to a new airport (another 7 km²), a port and a railroad. The government has now confirmed that the project will be expanded by a further 90 km².
The area chosen by the government is part of the nature conservation area ‘Lagoa Encantada’. UNESCO designated the rainforests in the area as a biosphere reserve. The rainforests and mangrove forests are home to animal and plant species which are threatened with extinction, such as the collared sloth, the common marmoset and the South American fish otter. Just a few kilometres away, the highest per hectare biodiversity anywhere on the planet has been found.
The planned industrial port would be built around 1 km off the coast in the open sea. It threatens the lives of humpback whales, who are passing by between June and October before giving birth in the nearby waters of Itacaré. Sea turtles, which lay their eggs on the beach, and a unique 12 km long coral reef are also threatened.
To learn more and sign the petition opposing the industrial zone, please click here
Born Free is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Contact Us | eNews | Kids Club | Campaign Action | CEO's Blog | Sitemap | About Site | Copyright