Eco-Operate

Breaking News from Project R&R

Tonight on ABC-TV's Nightline an undercover investigation
of the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) will be featured
exposing the sickening reality of life as a research primate.

Please inform yourself by watching this rarely seen footage
of what lab primates must endure in the name of 'research'.

If it offends and outrages you as it does me you'll lend your
support to Project R&R at www.releasechimps.org.

Bananas, Naps and Web Searches

One of my favorite causes is asking for help with keeping retired research
chimps in food...they're doing great stuff bringing chimps cross-country
to a sanctuary in Florida and letting them see sunshine and open air for
the first time in decades - or in some cases - for the first time ever!

                                                

Save the Chimps - March 14, 2008                                                                                      Our Mission   To provide a permanent sanctuary for the lifelong care of chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, entertainment and the pet trade. _______________ Various Links   www.savethechimps.org About Us Donate Adopt A Chimp The Meal Deal The Great Chimpanzee Migration _______________                                        Click here to view our previous newsletters electronically.   Don't forget...   If you are currently on our Newsletter mailing list, and would like to help conserve paper, reply to this email stating that you would prefer to receive our Newsletters electronically from now on. _______________   Click here   Listen to, and download, a Save the Chimps ringtone featuring Kiley, our spokeschimp! _______________ Festivals Watch for Save the Chimps at animal friendly street festivals and fairs this year! EarthFair NYC April 18 & 19 WorldFest Los Angeles May 10 North Beach Festival San Francisco June 14 & 15                                      We Need Banana Money!     The continuing high cost of energy and transportation has begun to threaten our ability to provide the nearly 300 chimpanzees in our care with high quality diets of fresh fruits and vegetables. The majority of the chimps at our sanctuary spent most of their lives in research labs eating only dry monkey chow. At the heart of our commitment to the chimps is a promise to provide them each with a variety of fresh fruits or vegetables at every meal. We need your help buying apples, cucumbers and, of course, bananas! Learn how you can help provide meals for the chimps.     ________________________________________ Another Chimp Champ   Louise Mills is committed to making Save the Chimps' Florida sanctuary a better place to nap! Click here to read more!   ________________________________________ More Color Save the Chimps has added another beautiful coloring page on our kid's page. Please share this educational page (available in both English and Spanish) with your children and their teachers.   Remember that coloring is about having fun and not about staying inside the lines! Click here   ________________________________________ A Good Way to Search the Internet! You can help raise money for Save the Chimps just by searching the Internet or shopping online with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo! Click here to read more about GoodSearch.

Let friends and family know how they can help provide the chimps with permanent sanctuary and quality care by forwarding this email!   Click on the "Forward email" link below and add as many email addresses as you would like. Save the Chimps is the World's Largest Permanent Sanctuary for Rescued Chimpanzees.

     

 
      

Human rights ... abuse in Riau land dispute

The following aritcle comes from the Jarkarta Post and I found it through
Borneo Orangutan Survival UK (www.savetheorangutan.co.uk)

They have 'to the minute' news articles, alerts and TAKE ACTION'S regarding
orangutans survival which also by extension encompass issues regarding deforesta-
tion, palm oil production (and more), and future biofuel production.
Quite a lot info can be gleaned there-these folks are doing a great job of
informing the rest of us.

Link: Human rights body finds rights abuse in Riau land dispute
The Jakarta Post.

Human rights body finds rights abuse in Riau land dispute

Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post |  Sat, 03/08/2008 12:11 PM  | The Archipelago

The National Commission of Human Rights has found human rights abuses in the
prolonged land dispute between the Sakai tribe and forestry company PT Arara
Abadi in Riau, Sumatra. Chairman of the commission's fact-finding team, Jhony
Simanjuntak, said the Sakai people had lost their right to live peacefully and safely
because of the company's continual intimidation.

He said the company deployed security personnel and trained dogs to drive away
farmers working on the disputed land and to intimidate children traveling to and
from school.

The team, which visited the land early this week, found dual ownership of certain
enclaves had triggered the dispute. The Sakai people have lived in the 10 villages
and have farmed the surrounding areas in Bengkalis and Siak since 1830. They
were granted official ownership of the land in 1940 by the Sultan of Siak. PT Arara
Abadi obtained the forest concession in 1996.

"When the company came in, it did not know the Sakai people were living and farm-
ing in the enclaves, which has caused a dispute," said Jhony at a press conference
at the Governor's Office here Thursday.

According to the fact-finding team, the Sakai tribe should be recognized as the
land's rightful owners under the 1999 Forestry Law. However, the tribe has not
sought legal protection because of the complicated bureaucratic process involved.
The law guarantees the Sakai people's right to the land but approval from the gov-
ernment is also required.

"Government approval has proven difficult to obtain because the criteria it sets
is unrealistic," said Jhony. 

"The conflict has become complicated because many farmers have claimed plots
of land which were also included in the forest concession. Land claims have led
to the arrest of many farmers and, in this case, Arara has no authority to make
arrests. Instead, it should maintain its assets, including the land in the forest
concession," he said.

The Carbonator-You Tube

Link: YouTube - The Carbonator.

Do you get your wood from the rainforest?!

When you're running around on the weekends trying
to do a little home improvement or buying materials
for furniture or sculpture projects do you ever think
about where your retailer gets their wood?

To learn more about responsible wood choices go to
www.rainforestrelief.org

This link is where you'll find a recent PSA from
Rainforest Relief director Tim Keating.
http://www.rainforestrelief.org/documents/RR_PSA.final.sm.mov

They're looking for ways to get the word out on TV, Cable,
Websites etc.

Join them, donate, spread the word...do something to  help
conserve rainforests and all the species that live therein!!!

Does anyone really NEED to a purple heart letter opener?

Chimpanzees: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY

"Chimpanzees: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY"
Wins an Emmy under "Research" category!

I saw this amazing documentary when it
aired on PBS last October (2006). I had
no idea what unbelievable brutality chimp-
anzees endured in the name of 'research'.
In the course of watching the documentary
(during which it's impossible not to sob)
I learned about www.savethechimps.org
and other 'advocates' such as NEAVS
Project R&R
Visit them and do what you can.

You can 'Adopt A Chimp' (I adopted Jennifer),
donate enrichment items,
receive informative and hopeful newsletters,
learn something and raise awareness.

Learn More at PBS.org

Jenny