From: WWF-UK
WWF has launched a three-year campaign with Sky to help save one billion trees in the Amazon rainforest. And you can play a vital part.
The new campaign, called Sky Rainforest Rescue, aims to protect rainforest covering over three million hectares in the state of Acre, western Brazil.The world’s rainforests are crucial for regulating the global climate, and importantly absorbing large amounts of the greenhouse gas CO2. They’re also unique and vital ecosystems, supporting a rich biodiversity.
Sky Rainforest Rescue
But shockingly, in the Amazon alone, an area the size of three football pitches is being destroyed every minute of every day.Deforestation creates more greenhouse gas emissions than all the planes, trains, ships and cars in the world put together. Loss of tropical forests also threatens the habitats of more than half the world’s species and the welfare of some of the world’s poorest people.
What Sky Rainforest Rescue is all about
Working with the state government of Acre in Brazil, Sky and WWF aim to create economic incentives for the local communities to make the trees worth more alive than dead.
The project will:
* improve monitoring in Acre against threats to the forest such as forest clearance
* help local producers secure fair prices for sustainable goods like Brazil nuts and find new opportunities to sell their produce
* work with local communities to pay them for their role in protecting the forests. This could include supporting community ventures and facilities.
How you can help
Every £10 donated helps to save 500 trees. Donate now or find out more information about Sky Rainforest Rescue.
To kickstart the project, Sky will match donations pound for pound, up to a joint target of £4 million.
A blueprint for forest management
Binho Marques, state governor of Acre, says: “With 88% of Acre covered by rainforest, we are the stewards of a precious global resource.
“Our aim is to ensure we develop a sustainable model for protection which works with the needs of our 2,000 isolated rural forest local communities. Sky Rainforest Rescue is critical to our ability to do that.”
WWF’s chief executive, David Nussbaum, says: “WWF and Sky, together with the help of the public, can take real steps to halt rainforest destruction, benefit communities and provide a blueprint for future forest management.”
Supermodel Lily Cole has been backing the campaign, and at the launch she said: “It’s hard to appreciate the importance of the rainforest because it seems so far away, but it’s vital to the survival of the planet as we know it.“The destruction of the rainforest is having a huge impact on our climate and on the millions of animal and plant species and the millions of people who live there.
“It’s important we act now, so help make a difference by donating just £10 and help save 500 trees.”
TV schedule
Sky and its channel partners will broadcast a wide range of rainforest-focused programming during the campaign, starting with ‘Rainforest Week’, from Monday 26 October 2009, featuring the likes of ‘Children of the Amazon’ (on Sky 1 and Sky Anytime) and ‘Rivers and Life’ (on Nat Geo Wild HD and Sky Anytime).
Sky1 documentary maker Ross Kemp will make a special visit to the Amazon rainforest to investigate the reality of deforestation for two documentaries to be broadcast on Sky1 HD in Spring 2010.
Sky’s commitments
The Sky Rainforest Rescue project forms part of a new set of commitments from Sky to help tackle climate change, including an overall target to cut its CO2 emissions by 25% across its business by 2020.
Sky has also committed to cut the total energy consumption of newly installed Sky+HD boxes by 30% by 2012, and will be working with 50 of its most carbon intensive suppliers to help them measure their carbon footprint and reduce emissions further.