Guest blogged by Joko Arif - Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace Indonesia

Land is ready to begin planting for expansion of palm oil plantations in the concession area of PT Buana Adhitama © Greenpeace / Bina Karos

Vast, bald, deforested areas surround us, while in the background we can see the wall of surviving forest. Evidence of forest clearing is all around us so we have what we came for – but strangely we haven’t caught anyone red-handed today. There are no workers in sight. Our scouting team go ahead to track down the company in the act of destroying the forest while the rest of us stay behind to bake in the extreme heat. There’s not a single tree left, so there’s no shade. It’s noon on Friday April 23rd and we have found fresh evidence that palm oil supplier Sinar Mas is still in the process of destroying Indonesian rainforests.

Today, April 27th, Sinar Mas held its Annual General Meeting in Singapore and we presented the fresh evidence we collected over the weekend at a press conference just before the start of the AGM – but getting this new evidence was not easy.

We set out for Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan in Indonesia on April 23rd to meet other NGO friends to exchange information and to gather more data on what PT Buana Adi Tama (PT BAT for short), a subsidiary of notorious forest and climate destroyer, Sinar Mas, has been up to in the area.

Continue reading "Fresh evidence of forest destruction in Indonesia" »

Posted by Laura at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Mr Brabeck-Letmathe & our activist at the AGM.

Good question. After dropping into Nestlé's Annual General Meeting on April 15th to deliver the message that the largest food and drink company in the world is still using palm oil and paper products from forest destruction - we got a response.

Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe painted a very reassuring picture of what Nestlé is doing (or not doing) to address the products in it's supply chains which come from destroyed forests. His statement has been prominently displayed on the Nestlé homepage since the AGM where our activists at the meeting - and all of you supporting the campaign online - ensured that palm oil was a main focus of the agenda.

Continue reading "What does Nestle's (sort of) response mean?" »

Posted by Laura at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

You sent over 200.000 e-mails to Nestlé and all we've gotten so far is a lot of repetitive statements from the largest food and drink company in the world. Yesterday we took the message directly to shareholders - and delivered it every way we possible could: via protesting orang-utans, banner drops from the ceiling, our own WiFi network, an official speech to the shareholders and a mobile Twitter wall.

A group of 30 protesting orang-utans arrived at the entrance to the AGM just as Nestlé shareholders were beginning to trickle into the coffee tent to take a break before the meeting began. The security guard couldn't quite get the gate closed fast enough to keep the orang-utans out - although he did put in a gallant effort (obviously he doesn't have a lot of experience dealing with animals).

Meanwhile inside the meeting itself - just as the Chairman of the Board began to talk about Nestlé's profits over the past year our activists dropped from the ceiling and unfurled two banners directly over shareholders heads (reaction of the shareholders was a mix of screams and confused clapping). We wanted to ensure that Nestlé's continuing use of palm oil - and pulp and paper products - coming from the destruction of Indonesia's rainforests and carbon-rich peatlands was front and center on the agenda.

Watch the orang-utans arrive - and our activists 'drop' in to the meeting:

Continue reading "Your messages to Nestlé shareholders: delivered." »

Posted by Laura at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Early on Sunday a fire destroyed part of the Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia on Riau’s Kampar Peninsula. The flames were spotted by villagers across the Kampar river in Teluk Meranti in the early hours of the morning. Luckily the camp's caretaker was not there at the time and no one was injured.

The camp was built in October 2009 with local help in order to bring attention to the cost of forest destruction to the climate, local communities and biodiversity. In the run-up to the Copenhagen Climate Summit our activists staged several actions around the Climate Defenders Camp before passing it on to the community in November 2009.

An image of the camp as it was:

What the camp looks like after the fire:

Continue reading "Fire at our Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia" »

Posted by Laura at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Guest blogged by Jamie (original post on GP UK) -

It's three weeks since we launched our Nestlé campaign and, thanks to the fantastic support we've received, it's going from strength to strength. Nestlé's Facebook page is still dominated by questions about where the company gets its palm oil from. It seems that every attempt by their admins to change topic is another opportunity to turn the conversation back to deforestation linked to palm oil and other ethically questionable practices. Meanwhile, our Kit Kat video has sailed past an incredible 1.1m views.

Our orang-utans ask Nestlé to give them a break in front of Nestlé's Beijing headquarters.

Continue reading "Indonesian President praises us for criticising forest policy" »

Posted by Laura at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I told Bob that despite Nestlé's announcement that it would cancel contracts with Indonesian palm oil supplier Sinar Mas it would still be using Sinar Mas palm oil through other suppliers – like Cargill – who will continue to buy from Sinar Mas and sell to Nestlé. In short – Nestlé will continue to use palm oil from destroyed rainforests and peatlands in its products. This was not acceptable – which should have been clear to Nestlé and Bob from the response of the public on Nestlé's Facebook page and other online forums.

Continue reading "The Prepared Palm Oil Statement - by Nestle" »

Posted by Laura at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Literally.

Sometimes a company can issue a reactive statement – like Nestlé did upon the launch of our Kit Kat campaign – that appears to wrap up everything for which they are being criticised in a neat little package, when in reality nothing changes. In this case Nestlé's neat little package definitely stinks – and nobody's buying it.

Nestlé announced it would cancel contracts with Sinar Mas, the largest palm oil producer in Indonesia, after we released a report exposing Sinar Mas' involvement in illegal rainforest and peatland destruction to make way for their palm oil plantations. The report was released the same day as our 'Have a break?' video. The statement Nestlé made in reaction was not only nothing new – it won't be anywhere near enough to protect Indonesia's rainforests, orang-utans or peatlands. But they're acting as if they've done enough - and luckily they don't seem to be fooling anyone.

Since their statement Nestlé's Facebook page has remained the site of six straight days of people's frustration, criticism and in some cases – outright disgust with this company's lack of real action. When I took a quick look just now – it wasn't showing any signs of slowing.

Continue reading "Nestle: You're not fooling anyone." »

Posted by Laura at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

What can we say? You all rock! You've taken our Kit Kat campaign and made it your own and we just have to stand back in awe of it all. We'll keep this blog post updated with all the latest creative Kit Kat campaign tactics provided by you - the online community who has taken our video and our campaign message and really run with it!

Views on all the versions of our 'Have a break?' video (some uploaded by us - some uploaded by you) are now 1.1 million+ and rising!

Nestle not-fans continuing creative media onslaught

Over a week since the campaign launched and still Nestle not-fans are going strong on facebook and Youtube.com with creative new media protests! We have seen more and more of your profile pictures using the Nestle logo going up, and even some interesting video-edits of Nestle commercials. Check out this latest creation uploaded by Pierreundco on Youbtube:

A Nestle commercial edited with clips from our compaign video.

Nestle suffering social media rampage as company stocks falls

Some of the profile pictures people are using on facebook.

Wow, in the last 12 hours "not-fans" on Nestle's facebook page responding to their use of palm oil from deforestation have been really busy! Nestle's facebook admin is now posting less and less, no doubt wearied by the onslaught of criticism and calls for them to clean up their supply chain. In particular, the company has referred a number of times to its palm oil policy which states the company intends to use all sustainable palm oil by 2015. But unfortunately, as we all know, 2015 will be too late. Many of the "not-fans" have pointed out what five years of business as usual translates into in terms of rainforest destruction, for orangutans, people and the climate.

Continue reading "Your Kit Kat campaigns" »

Posted by Laura at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (52)

It was an emotional moment when Greenpeace passed the keys of the Climate Defenders Camp to local communities and our NGO partners in front of more than one thousand villagers on Monday. The history of the camp, despite only five weeks old, is imbued with activism, solidarity and tough diplomatic work, its solid wood planks stuck together by a shared conviction of the need for greater environmental justice that spells – STOP DEFORESTATION, SAVE THE CLIMATE

This message from deep in the Indonesian forest must now resonate with the delegates that are packing their bags for the Copenhagen Climate Summit held early next week. They must help fulfill President Yudhoyono’s commitment for a 41 percent reduction in carbon emissions with international help and strive for bigger reductions, sooner. Delegates must demand funding from developed countries to protect Indonesia’s forests while expecting an immediate moratorium on deforestation at home.

Continue reading "Climate Defenders Camp keys handed over to local communities" »

Posted by Patrick at 4:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

As you read these words there are four people in the heart of the Indonesian forest that are putting everything on the line to show the world where climate change starts from and who is responsible for the world’s biggest threat.

>>Get live updates here!

Four activists from the Philippines, Germany, Indonesia and Holland are still preventing a crane from operating in the pulp and paper mill of climate criminal APP despite countless efforts by company security to get them down. All while company boats on the river nearby have been agitating the water to stop photographers from recording the action.

Yet, enduring threats, fatigue, heat and the rancid chemical smell of the plant for more than nine hours - four of our activists are still holding their ground and making sure that the eyes of the world point this way.

And what the world has witnessed is no short of shocking. Vast spreads of once untouched forest now completely destroyed to make way for either palm oil or acacia plantation. Deep peat land forests burnt and releasing enough carbon dioxide – the greenhouse gas – to constitute a real threat to the earth’s climate.

Continue reading "Climate change starts here - activists don't give as night falls" »

Posted by Patrick at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The climate can’t wait, the remaining Indonesian forest can’t wait, and today Greenpeace sent a strong message to world leaders by blocking the Asia Pulp & Paper mill in the heart of the Indonesian forest. This mill is a massive greenhouse gas emitting facility – it is so big that it has its very own coal-fired plant to fuel it's operations!

At dawn, 12 activists [from Germany, Belgium, the US, the Philippines, the Netherlands and Indonesia] made their way through the hot and rancid air of the plant, climbed the towering cranes used for exporting pulp and took their positions. Within minuted they had lowered themselves from these enormous structures, and suspended mid-air, they unveiled banners saying "Climate criminals" and a sending a direct message to world leaders "You can stop this".

Continue reading " Our Climate Defenders are at it again - Pulp exports halted at climate change's 'ground zero'" »

Posted by Crina at 5:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

A few days ago, Swiss Forest Campaigner Asti described her first impressions of the camp. Since arriving she has been busy helping the local community finish a dam that will help preserve the precious peatland and help save the climate.

Click here to take action too!

The latest from Asti:

The dam site near the Climate Defenders Camp has probably never seen so many workers, as it did on the last day of its accomplishment. Even a group of around ten Indonesia boy scouts joined the work, putting up their flags all over the place. I do hope that Indonesian scouts are soon going to be called “forest rescuers” all over the country.

The number of heavy sandsacks which were filled and carried up to the dam are almost uncountable – I hope not too many people are feeling it their backs now.

The dam has created a real pool in which you are able to swim – we call it 'Whiskey Lake'. Whiskey Lake contains reddish-brown peat water. If you taste this water, you might instead call it 'Lemon Lake' – it’s incredibly acid. After having tasted it you understand right away why these peatland canals are having a negative impact on the water balance and its fish population.

Continue reading "Climate change stops here - Dam mission completed" »

Posted by Crina at 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Asti, Forest Campaigner from Switzerland, who has finally arrived at the camp:

There is a big buzz in the Climate Defenders Camp this afternoon. With at least 400 local visitors, including loads of children, and plenty of laughing and singing – it’s open house again. Krisna Mukti, a famous indonesian singer and actor, is just one of the attractions. Youngsters of Teluk Meranti are having a Bantun contest – which is a very nice Malai Tribe tradition to form your everyday life into poems. I know I miss a lot not being able to understand it – todays Bantun poems are all about the forests. Public outreach in the camp is both amazing and motivating.

I finally made it to the camp yesterday evening after almost getting grey in hotelrooms– it was empowering right away from the first step entering it. We (Swiss and Indian campaigners, accompanied by Indonesian colleagues) made sure to travel the last part of the trip in the dark as we wanted to reach the camp at least before possibly getting detained and deported. This happened to our friends from Italy, India and Belgium last Monday.

>> Read more about the Climate Defenders Camp

>> Join the call for an ambitious deal at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen this December including a forest fund

Continue reading "Ready for the crocodiles" »

Posted by Crina at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Ashish, a Campaigner from India, who has finally arrived at the camp:

We got into the Climate Defenders Camp late Friday night, the yellow Greenpeace banner emerging out of the night as our boat crossed the river from Teluk Banjai. I got to Jakarta over a week ago, and was beginning to wonder if I would ever see the camp, after the police harassment and deportations of last week. But I was finally here. There wasn't time for much more than a round of introductions, some dinner and then sleep.

Continue reading "The community takes the lead as activists return to the camp" »

Posted by Crina at 5:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After what she describes as two very emotional and intense weeks at the Climate Defenders Camp in Sumatra, Corinna Hölzel, Forest Campaigner from Germany has now left Indonesia. Corinna had intended to stay in the camp much longer but after our successful actions against climate criminals APRIL, circumstances have changed and tight restrictions have been placed on foreigners travel within Riau Province.

Before leaving, Corinna took some time to describe her experiences working with the local community to preserve this vital rainforest ecosystem:

I belong to the group of people who at least had a chance to stay in the Climate Defenders Camp for some days, but some of my colleagues who arrived later than me haven't had the opportunity to make this important experience at all.

Now that foreigners are not allowed to go to the village of Teluk Meranti or the camp, and while our Indonesian colleagues are interrogated by the police, I am concerned what will happen to the people from the local communities that supported our work and prevented the eviction of the camp.

Continue reading "Rainforest a vital and sustainable 'supermarket' for local communities" »

Posted by Crina at 4:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When both you and the journalists who are accompanying you start getting arrested and deported it's usually a sign that you're doing something right. At least that's the case if you work for an organisation that takes direct action against injustice.

Amidst the detainments and deportations, tensions and tears in Indonesia - there is good news! The Indonesian government has just suspended the license of paper and pulp giant APRIL on the Kampar Peninsula. This means that they are forbidden to destroy any carbon-rich forests or peatlands in this area - pending a review of the company's permits.

Our activists have been stopping forest and peatland destruction on the peninsula and highlighting the significant role this destruction plays in climate change. With just 17 days before the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen they have clearly been ruffling a few feathers in Indonesia. But they have also significantly raised the level of international attention on the deforestation issue.

As the authorities are removing our activists, we're calling on the President of Indonesia to permanently remove the real offenders - and show real leadership in the run up to Copenhagen and stop the ongoing forest destruction by major corporations - click here to take action and support this call.

It is unclear at the moment if anyone from outside Indonesia or from the press is going to be allowed to visit the camp, despite their status either as legitimate guests of the country or journalists. There is also of course the risk that the authorities will try and close the camp down again. We simply can't afford to let that happen. The Indonesian authorities need to stop intimidating peaceful activists who are trying to help President Yudhoyono fulfill the commitment he has made to cut Indonesia’s massive CO2 emissions.

When the police tried to shut down our camp last time they were stopped by overwhelming numbers of local people coming out in support of the camp. Once again the local community have returned to the camp to show support despite the fact that police surveillance still hangs over the camp like a dark cloud. We can't be sure what will happen next...

But here's a message with even more good news from Chiara, an Italian activist from Sicily, who wrote this as she was about to be deported from Indonesia earlier today. She was detained by police before she even reached the camp!

Hello forest fighters!

As you maybe already know I'm one of the most "dangerous Italians in Indonesia" and I will leave the country in few hours to come back Italy. By now I am sure that many of you are aware of what's been happening to our activists at the Climate Defenders Camp.

Tom, Corinna and the 2 journalists who were accompanying us to the camp were given the deportation order two days ago and yesterday we came back to Jakarta where Raimondo (journalist) and I were picked up by the people of the Italian embassy - who took us under their authority.

Tom and I participated in a press conference which was organised by the Greenpeace South East Asia office so that we could tell our story to international and local media.

Since we were stopped by the police just a few kilometres away from the camp - the Greenpeace office in Italy started issuing press releases and faxes. They also made calls to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. They did an excellent job and this produced STRONG outcomes in the media - making waves to ALL political levels in Italy.

I gave dozens of interviews with national newspapers, radio and
magazines. Yesterday the Espresso published an interview with Raimondo together with a beautiful photo gallery.

And the response is overwhelming! The Italian government has now publicly declared a strong position on forest protection in order to save the climate - for the first time!

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also demanded an explanation from the Italian ambassador in Indonesia - just as the Indonesian Vice President and his delegation is arriving in Rome for a diplomatic visit.

In a few hours I will be escorted by the ambassador to the airport to get my passport and then I am being deported to Italy. I really would like to send the strongest embrace to all the people at the camp that I couldn't join. I'm very proud of what you did and will keep doing!

Please stay tuned. It is far from over - and we really need your support!

baci e abbracci a tutti
Chiara

>>Support the Climate Defenders Camp by writing the President of Indonesia today! It only takes a few seconds to send the letter through our website and you don't need even need to pick up a pen!

>>Get all the blogs from the Climate Defenders Camp!

Posted by Lisa at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Indonesian authorities have ramped up Intimidation tactics against Greenpeace activists, independent media and local community members supporting our Climate Defenders Camp on the Kampar Peninsula on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Yesterday Riau police detained Indian and Italian journalists along with Greenpeace activists from Germany, Belgium and Italy, who were en-route to the climate defenders camp. They are still being held by the authorities and were questioned through the night.

The activists and journalists are traveling on valid business and journalist visas, and were on their way to meet the villagers of Teluk Meranti, who had mobilised to support Greenpeace climate defenders on Sunday.

Continue reading "More intimidation as Greenpeace activists, independent media and local community targeted" »

Posted by Crina at 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

From Sarah Burton in Jakarta - who wrote earlier from our Climate Defenders Camp).

I have learned that in campaigning things can change overnight, of course, and in this campaign, I have learned that things can change two or three times overnight.  Here's what happened overnight.

Yesterday one of our volunteers at the climate camp, a technical specialist from Brussels, was removed by the local police to their local station. Meanwhile a couple of journalists from India and Italy and a few more Greenpeace activists and campaigners were on their way from Pekanbaru to the camp. The police car hauling our volunteer away saw them coming down the road. The upshot is that all were detained at a local police station and questioned to the wee small hours. Then they were put up for the night locally and made to return next morning (that would be this morning actually) for more questioning.

And the story the authorities tells keeps changing: they are being detained on immigration charges, they are being detained but not charged, they are on the wrong visas, they have the wrong (or no) paperwork to travel in the region.  But we can see what is happening, there is a fear of international attention for the campaign.  

Continue reading "What happens when the good people do good - Part 3" »

Posted by Crina at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah Burton, our Deputy Programme Director, shares her excitement with us as she witnesses the community support and the eviction reversal for our Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia

Well, when I finished writing yesterday, I really thought that I would be going to the Climate Defenders Camp to bear witness to a peaceful demonstration of activism being disrupted and our team and local community representatives being evicted.

What a difference a day makes. I did bear witness, indeed, but to something altogether more inspiring...to people power in its most direct form.

Sarah applauds the local communities for their efforts to protect their forests and thanks them for their support of Greenpeace. ©Ardiles Rante/Grenpeace

Continue reading "What happens when the good people do good - Part 2" »

Posted by Crina at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

What an amazing day we have had here in Indonesia today...

In a surprising move, the chief of police of Pelalawan district has revoked yesterdays eviction order after 300 locals from nearby Teluk Meranti village turned up at the camp this morning to show their support.

The eviction notice was delivered in response to pressure from climate criminals after pulp and paper giant APRIL's operations were stopped by Greenpeace activists for over 10 hours on Thursday. An action which was strongly supported by local communities.

"We want Greenpeace to stay in this camp as long as possible. Their presence in Semenanjung Kampar is really helping us to protect this forest from destruction," said Suwandi, a school teacher in Teluk Meranti, "If in the future Greenpeace is forced to leave Kampar, we demand that APRIL should also get out of Kampar" he added.

Continue reading "Climate defenders to stay - Police reverse eviction order under pressure from communities" »

Posted by Crina at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is an update from Sarah Burton at our Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia, which is now being shutdown by the police.

Today I arrived in Pekanbaru, second largest city in Sumatra and a mere 4 1/2 hours away from the climate defenders camp, which is where I was headed, together with local campaigner Joko, and Ilona a young campaigner from our office in Russia who is spending a few weeks in our South East Asian office.

I am the Deputy International Programme Director, normally based out of Amsterdam. A grand title, but what I really like to do is get to where the action is, and at the moment there is nowhere more action-packed than this, I thought.

I was right, it seems. After the wonderful action in the forest last Thursday (a fabulous picture of which is currently taking a full page in the International Herald Tribune's Asia edition, in an ad aimed at President Obama, on a visit to Singapore) the local police took against the climate defenders - rather than the climate destroyers.

Continue reading "What happens when the good people do good" »

Posted by Crina at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Great footage from the ground in Indonesia - where our activists have been taking direct action at the frontline of forest destruction.

>>Check out the full action story here.

>>Join the Climate Defenders by calling for an ambitious deal at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen this December - including a forest fund.

Posted by Lisa at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As darkness fell last night, our activists from the Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia, ended yesterdays action against pulp and paper giant APRIL who continue to be involved in mass forest clearance, despite repeatedly stating that they have ceased such activities in the Kampar Peninsula.

The action, undertaken in the heart of the Sumatran rainforest, successfully prevented APRIL staff from using excavators and heavy machinery, stopping the clearing of carbon-rich peatland and intact forest for 10 hours.

Around 40 activists have been taken to the district police station and continue to be detained for questioning today. Two thirds of these committed activists are from Indonesia, the rest are foreign nationals from around the world.

The call to stop deforestation and peatland drainage was heard all the way to Helsinki, where Finnish global paper giant UPM-Kymmene has stated it will stop buying pulp from APRIL. This is a major win in the fight against runaway climate change as deforestation and peat land degradation are the two major causes of greenhouse gas emission in Indonesia, the worlds third largest emitter of CO2 after the US and China.

>>Read the full action story here
>>Join the call for an ambitious deal in Copenhagen including a forest fund

©Ardiles Rante-Greenpeace

Posted by Crina at 5:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Another update on the latest events at our Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia.

In response to our letter that voiced concerns - both from local communities and Greenpeace itself - regarding active clearing in the Kampar Peninsula, pulp and paper company APRIL stated that they had yet to begin active clearing in the area.

Fresh evidence was uncovered earlier this week thanks to satellite image analysis that left no doubts as to new clearing from APRIL, and raised damning suspicions regarding the drainage of peat land areas deeper than three meters - the maximum depth allowed by Indonesian law.

A few hours ago, we brought the evidence to a public meeting held by APRIL in the region capital of Pekanbaru where the company was introducing the latest of a string of High Value Forest Assessments aimed at greenwashing its image.

APRIL has not responded to this statement as yet.

>>Read the full action story here
>>Join the call for an ambitious deal in Copenhagen including a forest fund

Posted by Crina at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bustar Maitar, campaigner at our Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia, has told pulp and paper giant APRIL that the activists will not leave the concession until the company publicly commits to halting all deforestation and peat land destruction in the Kampar Peninsula.

Heavy rain has began pouring down where the direct action is taking place, and Greenpeace activists are still preventing company personnel from accessing the excavators used to destroy the forest.

As Barack Obama arrives in Asia for his first visit to the region as President and while the United States continues to block progress ahead of the critical UN climate negotiations at Copenhagen next month, a 50-strong international team of Greenpeace activists issued him an urgent call to action from the heart of Indonesia’s threatened rainforests

A number of police arrived onsite earlier from the local town of Teluk Merante to observe the action. They left with no arrests made.

Greenpeace has issued a Press Release highlighting the urgency of halting all deforestation and calling on President Yudhoyono and world leaders to protect forests worldwide and prevent runaway climate change.

One group of activists unfurled a 20x30 meter banner in a freshly destroyed area of rainforest urging Obama to take strong leadership and work closely with other Heads of State to help avert a climate crisis. Another group locked themselves to seven excavators to halt rainforest destruction.

>>Read the full action story here
>>Join the call for an ambitious deal in Copenhagen including a forest fund

Posted by Crina at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Activists from our Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia have just locked down three more excavators bringing to a halt all seven of APRIL's excavators in one of the pulp and paper's concessions in the Kampar Peninsula.

Earlier this week Greenpeace released fresh evidence of APRIL conducting forest clearing and peat drainage in this area. There are strong indications that the peat is deeper than three meters - illegal to drain under Indonesian law - despite APRIL's statements that it has ceased operations in the peninsula.

Aerial view of the APRIL concession taken yesterday. (c) Greenpeace/John Novis

Greenpeace activists will keep the lockdown and direct action until APRIL issues a public statement in which it commits once and for all to stop all clearing in the Kampar Peninsula.

» Follow the action on Twitter or the Climate Defenders page.

Posted by Crina at 3:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

These are the first photos from the direct action in the Kampar Peninsula, in the heart of the Indonesian forest. Activists, from the Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia, made their way to the site of climate criminal APRIL, one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the Kampar Peninsula. Activists then locked down four excavators and deployed a banner reading "OBAMA YOU CAN STOP THIS".

Greenpeace activists are making their way by boat to the direct action location in the Indonesian forest.

Activists carry material to the direct action site from the Climate Defenders Camp, including a banner saying "OBAMA YOU CAN STOP THIS".

Spanish activist making his way to the site of the direct action where four excavators have been locked down.

Indonesian activists carry material towards the site of climate criminal APRIL, one of the largest pulp and paper company operating in the Kampar Peninsula.

>>Read the full action story here
>>Join the call for an ambitious deal in Copenhagen including a forest fund

Images © Greenpeace/Will Rose

Posted by Crina at 1:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today our activists, from the Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia, locked down four excavators in the carbon-rich Kampar Peninsula belonging to pulp and paper company APRIL to highlight the need to immediately halt all deforestation in Indonesia.

Carbon emission from deforestation and degradation of forest and peat land areas is the major contributor to Indonesia being the third largest emitter in the world.

At 6.15 am more than 50 activists arrived at the APRIL site. Half an hour later three excavators have been locked down and a banner deployed saying " OBAMA YOU CAN STOP THIS".

With three teams blocking excavators, other activists are holding smaller signs saying "climate crime", in reference to APRIL's huge contribution to climate change through its massive clearance of forests, with fresh evidence of illegal deforestation.

Follow the action on Twitter or the Climate Defenders page.

Posted by Crina at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi! My name is Pablo, Greenpeace activist from Spain, and I'm writing this e-mail from the Climate Defenders Camp, that Greenpeace set up in Sumatra, Indonesia.

It has been pretty depressing to see all the forest destruction here. Big areas of jungle have been burnt and other deforested areas are now full of plantations of palm, eucalyptus trees and other commercial species.

But here we are, building a dam in a canal so that the jungle doesn't dry out (companies drain the peatland by carving canals in the earth - to prepare it for plantations). We are working very hard (often in extreme weather conditions here!) to stop the deforestation - which is contributing to climate change.

We are a team of people from different nationalities joined together and fighting peacefully for the same cause and I always try to stay positive in spite of the heat, mosquitoes, police pressure and the other hardships we have to deal with. I'm completely sure this work is worth doing and we'll achieve our goal of protecting the Sumatran jungle and therefore, as everything is interlinked in this world our Mother Earth.

Warm regards from the Climate Defenders Camp in Sumatra.

Pablo, Greenpeace Spain Volunteer

>>Read more about the Climate Defenders Camp
>>Join the call for an ambitious deal at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen this December including a forest fund

Posted by Lisa at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From Suzette, communications coordinator at the Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia
It almost feels like a home coming. Landing back in Indonesia and then travelling into the back-blocks of Sumatra. In the last few years I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time here working for Greenpeace on climate and forest issues.

I can’t boast any command of the local language but I definitely feel a connection to this land. Coming from New Zealand, I know I have a lot to learn about the history and life in general here in Indonesia, but there’s a common understanding I share with the people I meet in Indonesia; the desire and will to save the remaining forests.

As such, I’ve been angered by some of the comments from certain think-tanks that have recently been reported in the media.

One of these was a comment pretty much accusing NGO’s – like Greenpeace – of ruining local people’s economic ‘wealth’. I wish these so called ‘concerned interests’ could be present here at the Greenpeace climate defenders camp and witness the shared passion from Greenpeace volunteers and the local community in preserving the real wealth that they own – their forest home.

Continue reading "Market Life" »

Posted by Gillo at 3:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the latest from Hikmat -- at the Climate Defender's Camp

I am now on the peatland area of Semenanjung Kampar, half an hour away by boat from our camp.

As far as I can see are bushes, grasses, several trees, and bushes again. Man, this is not the rainforest. Semenanjung Kampar has more than 700, 000 hectares of forest, storing more than 2 billion carbon in it. But the latest data shows that almost half of this forest, approximately 300, 000 hectares is already destroyed for plantations.

I'm in the part that's been destroyed.

Continue reading "Mission Possible: Restoring the carbon-rich peatlands of Indonesia" »

Posted by Lisa at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Selamat Sore...my name is Laura, I am a German Greenpeace-activist, writing to you out of one of the last ancient forests - the Paradise forest of Sumatra (I'm in the photo above at the back on the left).

Just over two weeks ago I was given the opportunity to go, for four weeks, to the "Climate Defenders Camp" in Indonesia. I had no idea what I should expect and I had no idea what I would do there, I was just told it would be a lot of hard work. But of course - I said yes.

It was quite a strange feeling to go to a country or even a continent I'd never been to before. But without any ideas, what would happen and without knowing anybody I would meet, I had a good feeling because I knew, that I would meet people from all over the world, who have one thing in common:

The intention of saving the last parts of the Paradise Forest from destruction for palm and acacia plantations. And most importantly - to save the climate, which is changing partly as a result of deforestation.

Continue reading "Protecting paradise" »

Posted by Lisa at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Daniel Kessler - from our office in the US, writes on the Huffington Post blog.

I'm on the ground in Sumatra at Greenpeace's Climate Defenders Camp. We're here to let world leaders know that this is ground zero for deforestation and if immediate action isn't taken to end the destruction of our rainforests, climate catastrophe is all but assured.

Southeast Asia is the region most exposed to and least prepared for the impacts of climate change, according to the Asian Development Bank. The ADB warns that the poor — and especially women — are the most vulnerable. Approximately 2.2 billion Asians are subsistence farmers; they are already experiencing falling crop yields caused by floods, droughts, erratic rainfall and other climate change impacts.

As well as supporting biodiversity and forest-dwelling communities, forests and their soils are huge carbon stores; they contain nearly 300 billion tones of carbon. That is 40 times more carbon than we currently emit to the atmosphere every year.

Continue reading "Indonesia's rainforests and the climate crisis" »

Posted by Lisa at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aerial view between land clearing and Acacia plantations owned by the two giant pulp and paper producers, Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Ltd. (APRIL) and Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) at Pelalawan, Riau province, Indonesia
©Ardiles/Greenpeace

From Bustar -- Campaigner at the Climate Defenders Camp

“Our homes are from the forest, our transports are from the forest, our lives are from the forest... Please help us to save our home” Then Mr. Yusup wasn't able to continue his words - as he fell into tears facing US Ambassador for Indonesia and First Secretary of UK Ambassador for Indonesia on their visit to the Kampar Peninsula - invited by Greenpeace. They came to witness in person the latest condition of the Kampar Peninsula as well as to humbly encounter the Teluk Meranti communities and listening directly to their hopes and devastation.

This visit took place before the opening of Climate Defenders Camp. I had the privilege to guide the guests and became the interpreter for them and the communities - who were very enthusiastic regarding this visit.

The excursion for our guests started from Pekanbaru Airport in Riau and continued with a helicopter flight. As soon as we left the airport - there was a clear effort to disrupt our journey by people who were opposed to our work here. They used weather conditions as an excuse and the deforestation company attempted to meet the ambassador but was openly denied.

The helicopter flight to Teluk Meranti took less than one hour and on that journey the ambassador had the chance to witness the current forest destruction - and how it literally impacts climate change and the magnificent beauty of what’s left in Kampar Peninsula.

Continue reading "“Please save our home”" »

Posted by Lisa at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Actress Mèlanie Laurent is witnessing deforestation - where climate change starts

From Hikmat, media officer at the Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia

No flashlights. No red carpets. Don’t talk about fancy five-star hotel because here we don’t even have a proper toilet.

But Inglourious Basterds superstar Mélanie Laurent seems like she's really enjoying life at Greenpeace's Climate Defenders Camp, in the heart of Indonesia's tropical forest, Semenanjung Kampar, Riau Province.

“I miss my comfortable bed, though. But I really am enjoying my stay here,” said Mélanie in the middle of a sunny morning conversation.

We had just finished breakfast. Everyone was gathering in the main area of the camp. Not luxurious but we've got everything that we need: Coffee, milk, bread, fried rice, and friends.

About twenty activists were preparing their gear for the damming activity. They were willing and ready to pull another hard and tiring day of work. Mlanie had already prepared for the trip to Kerumutan Conservation Area to see the beauty of the untouched peatland forest on this beautiful Sunday morning.

Continue reading "Mèlanie Laurent joins the Climate Defenders Camp" »

Posted by Lisa at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

More often than not - you only get to see the finished product of our heroic actions -- the brave Greenpeace activists in the photo - doing something awesome to save the planet. And what you rarely see is how they got there or how much preparation it took. In another colourful piece from Rob, the leader of our Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia, you get to see what happens - behind the scenes - before the press arrives.

As if I don’t have enough to do, Gillo our on the ground web geezer has asked me to write a blog on the construction of the Climate Defenders Camp otherwise known as the CDC; here on the Kampar Peninsula in Sumatra.

We built a camp for the road to Bali project back in 2007, not too far from here actually, in a place called Kuala Cenaku. This time around I thought to do something a bit different. But as I got into the project it became clear that the only way to do a piece of work to the scale that we would like in the run up to Copenhagen was for us to create another static installation like a camp. We need a base for activists and volunteers - somewhere that can become a focal point for the campaign and for community involvement - a hub for communications and a launch pad for activities. Building a camp was the only way to achieve these goals.

Continue reading "The making of the Climate Defenders Camp" »

Posted by Lisa at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Activist Petteri has been hard at work, blocking the drainage of carbon-rich peatland in Indonesia (read his first update - and why they are building a dam here).

Update 2

This morning we left camp with two pong pongs - local small boats - and headed for the canal we are damming. Next to the canal we have built a small shelter to protect us from the sun and occasional rain. There we fill our canteens with fresh water and have lunch breaks. I drink about 4 liters of water every day to replace fluids that I sweat out of my body. It is difficult to explain how demanding physical work is in this heat and humidity. It must be experienced - to be believed!

We have now placed 6 out of 8 horizontal beams in our dam and we have placed the first two vertical beams between them. They are hammered down to the canal bottom with our home made log rammers. Now that the base construction is finished the work can proceed faster. We just need to ensure that our material supplies are timed correctly. This can be very difficult since there are no roads where we are working and everything must be transported by pong pongs. The time and level of tide is changing daily and currently water levels are so low that our materials cant be delivered directly to the canal. We must carry them all nearly one kilometer.

Continue reading "Dam - it's even harder than it looks!" »

Posted by Lisa at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Now for a wonderfully descriptive account from our Climate Defenders Camp leader - Rob, in Indonesia

Earlier this week - myself and four other guys set out from the Climate Defenders Camp to join a team already in the field preparing for a couple of giant banners to be displayed in the peat swamps of Riau, urging both Sarkozy and Merkel to do their bit to make history in Copenhagen.

We were leaving at 0430 of course nobody was up, everyone was knackered from the last couple of days intense activity to finish the camp and be ready for the opening yesterday…which we were. I wasn’t going to miss this though and I had to wake all the boys up to at least try to come somewhere close to the departure time. Bleary eyed, no coffee and we were off to the pick up point in Teluk Binjai. Dark and foggy the boat team did well to keep us from hitting any stray logs or other obstacles in the river and we were climbing up the bank ready to wake Doni up, our driver. By 0530 we were on the road, well it’s not really a road, gravel and dirt, we were running a bit late so Doni was stretching things a bit in places. We got to the site of the place we now call stupid stupid, so called by our Indonesian colleagues after the work we did a month ago for the global premier of the Age of Stupid and a live cross to 500 cinemas across North America. I like the name Stupid Stupid, it is absolute trashed peatland, burnt only a few months ago for Acacia plantation conversion, and it’s just plain stupid.

And into the trashed peatland we went. This place is worse than Mordor, burnt stumps, fallen trees, nothing standing and a big canal to drain it all so that the acacia can grow. You have to try and step on burnt logs and branches because if you don’t you sink knee deep into the boggy swamp.

Continue reading "The King of the Jungle" »

Posted by Lisa at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This morning Greenpeace activists in two inflatable boats intercepted a ship in France, the Izmir Castle, carrying 15 000 tonnes of palm kernel in Montoir-de-Bretagne port. They painted "Climate Crime" on the hull of the cargo ship. 11 other activists climbed on the top of three cranes unloading the content of the ship. They also unfurled banners reading "Funding for forest protection, not their destruction".

Rainforest is being destroyed by the palm oil industry in Indonesia -- which is contributing to climate change.

With the EU meetings today and tomorrow (as our lovely Laura has already mentioned here) -- we're sending clear messages to these Heads of State about the need for funds for an energy revolution and an end to deforestation in order to save the climate.

In addition to targeting a ship importing Indonesian palm kernel into France - our team at the Climate Defenders Camp has also been calling on Sarkozy to put money on the table to halt forest destruction.

Activists walked for hours across the muddy peatlands and into an area of rainforest destruction in order to unfurl giant banners - calling on the French PM and also Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany - to agree on funding for forest protection.

From the rainforests of Indonesia to the loading docks of France - Greenpeace is in action to stop forest destruction - and defend the climate.

Posted by Lisa at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There's lots happening at our Climate Defenders Camp now - on the ground in the Indonesian rainforest.

Activists from the camp are blocking the drainage of peat canals in the region - in order to protect the rainforest and peatlands. Paper and palm oil industries drain the carbon rich peat by creating these canals. The peat has to be drier so that oil palm and acacia can grow. Sometimes they burn the peat and remaining forest or simply knock it over with excavators. This destructive practice not only damages the local ecosystem - it adds a massive amount of climate changing carbon emissions to the Earth's atmosphere.

Here's some updates I have received today from the team in Indonesia:

First - from Bustar, one of our forest campaigners (who also wrote earlier here):

A few days ago we officially opened the Climate Defenders Camp in the midst of Kampar Peninsula forest. With the Kampar river in front of us and Kampar Peninsula peat lands behind, this camp is a part of our international campaign to make sure that world leaders – including Indonesia – listen to the urgent need to protect the world’s forests and to stabilize the current climate crisis.

Deforestation contributes around one fifth of global greenhouse gasses. Indonesia’s contributions are mainly caused by forest destruction with the clearance of peatlands as one of the worst offenders.

Our Climate Defenders Camp was constructed in less than 20 days - and contains facilities to support all Greenpeace activities. To sustain our energy needs - we're using solar powered electricity. Two communications and electricity experts, Tom and Geof worked hard together to ensure these vital resources were available for our activities here - and to make sure we can send our message out to the world leaders and societies with regards to our livelihood on this planet.

Continue reading "Those dam treehuggers - saving the climate!" »

Posted by Lisa at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our team in Indonesia has set up a camp in the heart of the rainforest where activists will remain for several weeks in order to bring urgent attention to the role that deforestation plays in driving dangerous climate change.

Our Climate Defenders Camp is on the threatened Kampar Peninsula, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Here, the forest peat soils are particularly deep - storing some 2 billion tones of carbon and forming one of the largest natural carbon stores on the planet. This ecosystem is a vital global defense against climate change.

Much of the forest that once surrounded the Kampar Peninsula has been destroyed to make way for plantations, largely for products like paper and palm oil, which are transported worldwide and used to make chocolate, toothpaste and so-called ‘climate-friendly’ biofuels.

Continue reading "Climate Defenders Camp" »

Posted by Lisa at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)