EarthAction

Tireless activist Chut Wutty shot dead in Koh Kong Province

From the Cambodian Center for Human Rights:
Tireless activist Chut Wutty shot dead in Koh Kong Province

Photo via Phnom Penh Post

Chut Wutty, the Founder and Director of the Natural Resource Protection Group (NRPG), has been shot dead in an incident in Koh Kong province in which military police officer In Rattana is also said to have died today, 26 April 2012. The details of the incident in which the two men died remain unclear but their deaths have been confirmed by military police spokesman Kheng Tito. Wutty’s death has also been confirmed by his nephew, Chuon Phearum, as well as Koh Kong provincial military police chief, Thong Naron.

According to The Phnom Penh Post (‘Environmental activist Chut Wutty shot dead’) the incident occurred today at 12.30 pm in Koh Kong’s Veal Bei commune, Mondul Sima district. Two journalists from The Cambodia Daily are reported to have been accompanying Wutty but are said to have been unharmed in the incident which occurred near the Central Cardamom Protect Forest. Wutty has been subject to threats in the past as a result of his work in this area. In 2001 as part of a small Conservation International team sent to patrol for illegal logging in the Cardamom mountains, he was threatened by a military commander who said he would kill him over his investigations into illegal logging. He had to flee his hotel and rent a boat in the middle of the night that took him to safety.

In the face of continued threats and harassment, as Director of the NRPG, Wutty, a former soldier, has advocated tirelessly against the ongoing destruction of Cambodia’s natural resources. In 2011, he was threatened with arrest and criminal charges as a result of his work raising awareness of the destruction of Prey Lang forest in the Northeast of the country. In August and September, two training events he conducted with the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) in Kampong Thom province for community members affected by the destruction of Prey Lang forest were disrupted by police and military police armed with AK-47s.

Wutty is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. In this terrible time, the thoughts and prayers of the staff of CCHR are with Wutty and his family.

via The Prey Lang Network

Agenda 21: A Viable Proposal, or a Conspiracy?

EarthAction intern Amber argues in favor of UN Agenda 21, despite strong opposition in the US:     

Across the country, members of the political movement referred to as the Tea Party have been protesting against government implementation of ‘green projects.’ They argue man-made global warming is a hoax, and that investments in technologies and projects to combat climate change are a waste of tax-payer money. In a recent New York Times article, Leslie Kaufman and Kate Zernike explain that "green projects" are seen as part of a United Nations conspiracy that impedes upon the rights of American citizens.

    The specific ‘conspiracy’ they refer to is the United Nations Agenda 21, a proposal compiled by the United Nations in 1992 that called for a “...global partnership for sustainable development".  Agenda 21 identifies sources of climatic problems, provides a basis for why they should be combatted, details actions that can be taken to alleviate the problem, estimates the cost of taking those actions, and predicts the benefits of those actions. The main goal of Agenda 21 is to recognize global environment and development concerns and address them locally in order to ensure “the fulfillment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, a better protected and managed ecosystems, and a safer, more prosperous future”.

     No where in the document, does it advocate for or suggest a centralized global government or socialism as a solution to these problems; only for a collaborative organized effort of developed and developing countries to combat global warming as a global problem in such a way that is appropriate for individual countries.

    Members of the Tea Party and The Republican National Committee resolution complain that, “The United Nations Agenda 21 plan of radical so-called ‘sustainable development’ views the American way of life of private property ownership, single family homes, private car ownership and individual travel choices, and privately owned farms; all as destructive to the environment”.  This argument is not explicitly stated in Agenda 21, it can be inferred based on what are identifies as problems that Agenda 21 would classify many aspects of the American way of life as detrimental to the environment.

    What the opponents of the Agenda ignore, is the fact that although the USA is home to less than 5% of the world’s population, it is responsible for over a quarter of global carbon emissions.

This graphic demonstrates the carbon emissions in each country. Click here for the original source and a closer look.

Agenda 21 and government funding of improved, more efficient public transportation and alternative modes of transportation do not infringe upon American freedom or property rights as Tea Party members seem to believe (Kaufman and Zernike). Agenda 21 is non-binding, and is better viewed as a collection of suggestions for environmental action rather than a centralized government plot or a set of specific demands.

    A proposal for more bike lanes is not a demand revoking Americans’ rights to drive a car, it is simply trying to make it more feasible for people to use alternative modes of transportation. So far, there has been no legislation passed that limits the rights of Americans in order to combat global climate change.  Advocacy for more efficient lifestyles does not mean a loss of choice. The standard American way of life is still entirely possible.

    However, in the name of environmental conservation and the preservation of the livability of the Earth for humans and all other forms of life, it is ideal that Americans, as major contributors to environmental degradation and global leaders, recognize that their standard way of living is indeed harmful and take actions to improve it.

     Agenda 21 does not single out the US as a nation requiring environmental reform, but rather stresses a collaborative effort of all countries to address this global problem that requires a global initiative. It should not be regarded as a conspiracy, but a viable solution. It has been 20 years since it was formatted and little progress has been made in the fields it identifies as concerns. In fact, the world has regressed, and climate change has only accelerated since 1992. 

    The time to take action is now, the world can not afford to wait another 20 years before any real progress is made, quite frankly, by then it will be too late.

 

Sources/Further Reading

Kaufman, Leslie and Zernike, Kate. “Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing U.N. Plot.” The New York Times. 3 February 2012. Accessed 20 February 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/us/activists-fight-green-projects-seeing-un-plot.html?_r=1&hpw

United Nations. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Division for Sustainable Development. Agenda 21. 1992. 20 Feb. 2012. < http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/index.shtml

theteaparty.net/aboutus

Photo Credits

Carbon Graphic:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/2/10/1297340671284/Carbon-graphic-001.jpg

Anti-Agenda 21 Buttons:

http://oneway2day.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/agenda-21-is-insidious-to-america/

EarthAction Congrats Evgenia Chirikova on Winning Goldman Prize for Khimki Work

 On April 16, it was announced from San Francisco that Evgenia Chirikova, one of the founders and organizers of the Defend Khimki Forest movement, based in Moscow, Russia, is the 2012 European winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize. "EarthAction salutes Chirikova for her focused, persistent and effective work to protect this important forest on the outskirts of Moscow," says Lois Barber, EarthAction's Co-founder and Executive Director. Starting in July 2010 and throughout 2011, EarthAction rallied its global network in support of Chirikova's work to protect the Khimki Forest from being the site of a planned highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. For its part, EarthAction issued a series of global Action Alerts mobilizing people and organizations worldwide to take action in support of the Khimki forest and the local organizers in Moscow. 

At the request of Chirikova and her colleagues, EarthAction asked its worldwide network to send messages to the heads of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank, major financial backers of the highway, asking them to withdraw their funding for the highway construction, citing environmental, social and financial concerns about the project. The Goldman Award noted that it was "the most significant victory" when the Banks withdraw their financial support. “EarthAction” is delighted to have played a role in helping Chirikova and the Defend Khimki movement win this victory,” states Barber. 

The Goldman Foundation, in acknowledging Chirikova's work stated, "In this atmosphere of violent political and civil repression, Chirikova and her colleagues continue to fight for an alternative route and an absolute halt to the forest destruction. Energized by the erosion of support for Putin’s ruling party, Chirikova is breathing new life into Russian civil society’s appetite for political reform, and with it, the fight to protect Khimki Forest." 

Click here to read about Evgenia Chrikova's award winning environmental work. 

The Prize cash award has increased over the years and today each winner receives an award of $150,000. Winners also participate in a 10-day tour of San Francisco and Washington, D.C. that includes award ceremonies, news conferences, media briefings and meetings with political, public policy, financial and environmental leaders. 

 

Featured Partner: Meet the Anza Cart!

Can you imagine life without a water tap at home? What if the nearest water source was two miles away and you had no access to a car, bicycle or any public transportation? These are not the everyday problems we think about during our morning shower, but women and children all over the world are commonly spending five or more hours each day collecting and carrying water, firewood, and other heavy necessities on their heads.  It’s unsafe, unhealthy, and incredibly time consuming. For a vivid illustration of this reality, see this excerpt from charity: water’s video entitled “Water Changes Everything”:

 

In East Africa, farmers and villagers head-carry because affordable handcarts or wheelbarrows are not available to them. But a simple tool like a cart can save a family thousands of hours a year, allowing children to return to school and adults to work on income-generating opportunities. Fortunately, there is an organization working to make this essential tool available at a realistic and affordable price; their name is Anza and they are planning to sell their revolutionary handcart in East Africa at a radically low cost to villagers all over the region. Below, you can see the “Anza Cart” (left), and how it compares to current alternatives:

The Anza Cart is a transformative product that can improve the livelihoods of farmers, empower women, and keep children in school. Thus, an investment in the Anza Cart project is exceptionally effective in terms of social impact and also extremely efficient in a practical economic sense: thanks to thorough research and careful design, the Anza cart requires only a very small subsidy from donors. Anza has conducted years of field-based research that indicate that every $10 invested in Anza yields an average of $1320 in returns for its owner. Below, you can see the projected impacts of 1850 Anza Carts:

Anza has recently sent its first shipment of over 1000 carts to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and is working to send another as soon as possible. A $10 donation fully subsidizes one cart and helps a family of five lift themselves out of poverty.

You can be a part of this initiative by donating an amount that you are comfortable with at www.anzacart.org!

April Action Alert: How would you spend 1.6 trillion dollars?

Grant a primary education to every child on Earth? Bring clean water and basic sanitation to the entire global population? Reduce maternal mortality rates by three quarters? Adequately treat every person living with HIV/AIDS? End armed conflict? All of the above?

Imagine the world we could live in if each of those dreams came true. Instead, global military spending in 2011 was equivalent to 1.6 trillion dollars. Every minute, the United States spends 2.1 million dollars in military spending. That means the money spent by the US government in just day could cut the spread of malaria worldwide by half, saving over 300,000 lives. 

On Tuesday, April 17th, 2012, concerned global citizens in locations around the world will be taking action to not just imagine but secure a world with less spending on militarization and more spending on human rights. This year marks the second Global day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS), founded by the International Peace Bureau and the Institute for Policy Studies. 

GDAMS urges global citizens to take action to focus political, public and media attention on global military spending, and to let our world leaders know that we’re watching. Something EarthAction can really get behind.

How to Participate in GDAMS:

Locally- visit Demilitarize.org to find an event being organized in a city near you. Events are already being organized in over 35 countries!

On the Web- Take a picture explaining what you would do with 1.6 trillion dollars. Post it to the GDAMS photo wall and on social media sites to show the world you’re interested in new priorities for the world’s biggest economies. Post your picture to EarthAction's Facebook Wall or tweet to @EarthAction to spread the word.

Tweet

Feeling motivated?- Gather some friends and fellow activists, find a busy street corner or a public space like a military base, capitol building or town hall and make signs articulating the true cost of military spending. GDAMS has effective tools for organizers incuding posters, quick facts and printable leafletts. Be sure to post your event to let others in your area join you! Tell your local radio station, newspaper, television station or other media agency that you’ll be out spreading the word about your government’s choice to fund bombs instead of books and warfare instead of healthcare.

More Information-
Official GDAMS website: demilitarize.org,
International Bureau for Peace fact sheet: http://ipb.org/i/pdf-files/Dont_Spend_Money_on_War_Use_it_for_Peace.pdf

EarthAction's Email Archive: Email Action Alert

 

Global Campaign to Save the Prey Lang Forest

Click here to go to our campaign page to save Cambodia's Amazon >>

Breathtaking Photo Series Depicting Prey Lang and its Activists

From the Prey Lang Community Network website: 

"Prey Lang (“Our Forest”) is the largest evergreen lowland forest remaining in South East Asia, and it is under threat.

It is home to an indigenous population of 200,000 native Kuy who have lived in peaceful harmony with the forest for hundreds of years. The majority of families sustain themselves by harvesting resin, rottan, spiders, palm hearts, and medicinal plants.

A recent report from USAID estimates that without urgent action, the forest will be effectively gone in 2-3 years."

 

Photos by Mathieu Young. See the entire photo series here: http://preylang.com/mathieu-young/

 

Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport

But for some, it is a sport. Last year Renewable Rider Tom Weiss pedaled across the country to raise awareness about the US's energy crisis and to garner support for renewable energy. 

In 2011 the Alliance for Renewable Energy and 2020 Action, both projects of EarthAction, sponsored Tom Weis and his Rocket Trike 'Ride for Renewables'—No tar sands oil on American soil. Tom peddled his trike along the 1,700-mile pipeline route to draw the nation’s attention to the perils of this project and to support the people in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas who are most directly threatened by this dangerous pipeline scheme. Now, Tom wants to share with you the stories of the brave farmers, ranchers, rural families and tribal community members who he met along his trip and who are counting on our help to defend them from the proposed TransCanada XL invasion of their land. 

 
From Tom, "Starting Sunday, April 1, I will be posting one favorite video from my RenewableRider YouTube channel each day for the next 70 days (the actual duration of the ride) on my facebook and twitter pages. For a sneak preview of "Rocket Trike Diaries," check out this deeply moving interview of my friend, Furman Boles: 92 Year-Old Texas Man: Keystone XL is "Un-American"."

For more info, visit: http://rideforrenewables.org/

Want to learn more? Follow the Ride for Renewables on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the Youtube channel to see the video updates for the next 70 days. 

For more information on the Keystone XL pipeline, check out 20/20 intern Alex's blog on the issue from February,  2012 here. 

PRESS RELEASE: Cambodia's "Amazon"—Indigenous Community & Intl Orgs Rally to Save Prey Lang

April 24, 2012

Reply to: lois@earthaction.org

EarthAction, a global network of over 2,000 organizations in 160 countries, and Cultural Survival, an advocacy organization for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, have begun a worldwide campaign to protect the Prey Lang forest in Cambodia—its people, its trees, its life. The international campaign supports and complements the local efforts of the Prey Lang Community Network, a group of mostly Indigenous people whose villages surround the Prey Lang forest and whose livelihoods depend on the forest’s resources. Prey Lang, about the size of Rhode Island, is the last large primary forest of its kind on the Indochina peninsula.

Campaigners point out that Prey Lang is to Cambodia, what the Amazon is to Brazil. A few decades ago, almost no one recognized the imminent destruction of the Amazon rainforest and its potential damage to global ecosystems. “That's where we are today with the imminent destruction of Prey Lang,” states Lois Barber, EarthAction’s Executive Director.

This global campaign has won a legion of new supporters as the destruction of the forest has accelerated and threats to indigenous people have escalated. A recent unconfirmed report from insiders that Cambodia’s government has granted four additional land concessions in the core of the Prey Lang area has galvanized the campaign. “If true, and these concessions are allowed to go ahead”, says Barber, “we fear it is ‘game over’ for the forest and its communities.” She adds, “At this point, the only way to stop the granting of concessions and the illegal logging is to exert international pressure on the Cambodian government.”

Despite government intimidation, threats of violence, and the presence of the police and the military, hundreds of local villagers are patrolling the forests—day and night—to stop the illegal logging. On March 26, 2012, the Phnom Penh Post reported that 500 villagers from the Prey Lang area were patrolling the forest on 250 motorbikes. The Post reported the villagers “have vowed to continue patrols in coming days and to block a road used by rubber company CRCK if authorities don’t take action.”

Local and global campaigners are calling on the government to stop the threats to activists who are trying to protect the forest, even while illegal logging and clear cutting continue. An informal national alliance of grassroots groups and NGOs that includes farmers, fishers, tourist workers, vendors, and other informal workers from all across the country are standing in solidarity with the Prey Lang Network. Outrage over Prey Lang’s destruction is mobilizing opposition throughout the country in a way that few issues have.

Soem Sean, a village representative from Kampong Thom, said, “The reason we decided to do this is because the number of illegal loggers is increasing, but the authority has done nothing to stop these people. So we have to do it.”

Thai Bunleang, a Kuy elder, farmer, and Prey Lang Network activist, adds, “Without forest there is no life. In the Kuy language, ‘Prey Lang’ means ‘Our Forest.’ This forest is for everyone. Prey Lang is our forest, but it is your forest too. You can help save it.”

For years the Prey Lang forest has been under attack from illegal road builders and loggers, agribusiness, and mining companies who have made quick profits by extracting and exporting the forest’s natural resources. The villagers have been unable to determine where the trees are taken, but it is believed that much of the wood is illegally smuggled into China and Vietnam where it is made into cheap patio furniture and other wood products that are exported around the world.

Paula Palmer, director of Cultural Survival’s Global Response program, points out, “In 1970, 70 percent of Cambodia’s land was covered with old-growth forests. Today it is only 3 percent. The Kuy people are calling on us to help them save what’s left.” Palmer adds, “Studies show that forests thrive best when they are managed by Indigenous communities, so it is important for the Prey Lang Community Network to play a role in managing the Prey Lang forest.”

The Prey Lang Global Campaign calls on people everywhere to send a message to the Cambodian Prime Minister urging him to take immediate action to protect the Prey Lang forest. Specifically, the campaign supports the local indigenous people who are calling on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to:

--CANCEL all logging and mining concessions in the greater Prey Lang area

--CONFER Prey Lang with protected status and enforce its protection

--COMMIT to sustainably managing the forest in cooperation with the Prey Lang Community Network and replant and rehabilitate all clear cut areas

Campaigners note that messages can be sent to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, care of the Cambodian UN Mission, 327 East 58th Street, New York NY 10022 USA, Email: Cambodia@un.int.

At www.earthaction.org/ourforest, people and organizations can add their name to a sign-on letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen, and request a free Prey Lang Action Kit.

Previous campaigns organized by EarthAction in collaboration with local groups faced with the destruction of their forests have resulted in saving the Lopè Forest Reserve in Gabon, Clayoquot Sound in British Columbia, Canada (both of which are now UN Biosphere Reserves), and the Imataca Forest in Venezuela.

Previous campaigns organized by Global Response with local groups have saved rainforests in Costa Rica, Venezuela, Nigeria, Honduras, Chile, and Nicaragua.

* * *

About EarthAction.  EarthAction is a global network of over 2,000 civil society organizations in more than 160 countries, along with policymakers, journalists and citizens, who take timely, focused, action together to protect the global environment, preserve peace, and promote human rights. EarthAction has initiated over 90 global campaigns since its launch at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.

EarthAction
PO Box 63
Amherst, MA 01004  USA

www.earthaction.org/ourforest

Contact: Lois Barber, Executive Director, Tel: +1 413 549 8118, Cell: +1 413 427 8827, Email: lois@earthaction.org

About Cultural Survival. For 40 years, Cultural Survival has partnered with Indigenous Peoples around the world to protect their lands, languages and cultures. At the request of Indigenous communities that are struggling to prevent environmental destruction in their territories, the Global Response program organizes international public-pressure campaigns to change the policies and behaviors of governments and corporations.

Cultural Survival
Cambridge MA, Boulder CO, and Guatemala

Web campaign: http://www.culturalsurvival.org/take-action/cambodia

Contact: Paula Palmer, Director of the Global Response Program, Tel: +1 303 444 0306, Cell: +1 303 335 8629, Email: paula@cs.org 

ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION

In Cambodia:

--Terry Parnell, East West Management Institute, can facilitate contact with Khmer speakers.  Tel: 855 23 224 782,   855 23 221 164,   Email: tparnell@ewmi-praj.org

--Sokheng Seng, press contact for The Prey Lang Community Network. Tel: 855 92 324 668,  Email: seng.sokheng@gmail.com

Websites:

Prey Lang Community Network: preylang.com also, http://ourpreylang.wordpress.com/

Amnesty International video: http://www.amnesty.org.au/poverty/comments/27241

YouTube 5 minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJHEiYmleVo&feature=player_embedded#

CNN iReport, 2 minute video about the Avatar protest, May 2011:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-613176?ref=feeds%2Flatest

PRI’s The World, 4 minute audio report of the Avatar protest, May 25, 2011: http://www.theworld.org/2011/05/indigenous-protest-cambodia/

List of media coverage of the May 2011 Avatar Protest: http://ourpreylang.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/prey-lang-avatars-in-world-news/

* * *

PREY LANG FACT SHEET

The Bigger Picture: In 1970, 70% of Cambodia’s land was covered with old-growth forests. Today it is only 3%. Cambodia has the third highest deforestation rate in the world, behind only Nigeria and Vietnam.

Size: The core area of Prey Lang consists of primary, lowland, evergreen, forests, that cover about 200,000 acres. It is surrounded by over 600,000 acres of secondary forest. The entire Prey Lang area is roughly the size of Rhode Island.

Population: 200,000 people depend on the Prey Lang forest for their livelihoods, their culture, and their lives. Some 300 villages and family rice fields are also at risk that are scattered through a large buffer zone of secondary forest that surrounds Prey Lang.

Not Legally Protected: The Prey Lang forest is not fully legally protected by law, and existing laws are not enforced. Illegal loggers are clear-cutting large areas of old-growth trees.

Industrial Concessions: More than 30 companies have been granted economic and mining land concessions in the greater Prey Lang area by the Cambodian government. Old-growth forests are clear-cut and replaced with rubber tree and cassava plantations (the latter to provide ‘eco-friendly’ ethanol), or mined for iron and other ores.

Rate of Destruction: A botanical team from a top European University recently conducted several surveys in Prey Lang and predict that at the current rate of destruction, the entire Prey Lang forest will be gone within five years.

Language: In the language of Cambodia’s Kuy people, Prey Lang means “Our Forest.”

Biodiversity: Prey Lang is Cambodia’s ‘Amazon’. The forest has seven distinct ecosystems, including primordial swamp forest, that provide habitat to more than 50 endangered animal and bird species including sun bears, tigers, and leopards. Most areas remain largely unexplored by scientists. Elephants and tigers may still roam in parts of Prey Lang.

Water & Food Security: The Prey Lang forest is a vital source of water for Cambodia’s rice growing region and for the Mekong delta. As a primary watershed regulating water and sediment flow to the Tonle Sap Basin, and as an important fish spawning area, Prey Lang is vital for Cambodia’s long-term environmental sustainability and for food and water security.

Climate Stabilization: Left standing, the Prey Lang forest has among the highest carbon sequestration values in the region and is a powerhouse for fighting global warming. Cambodia’s Forest Administration has identified Prey Lang as an important area for conservation, with high potential for carbon-credit financing.

Meeting the Needs of Villagers: The Prey Lang forest meets the food, water, livelihood, and spiritual needs of the Kuy communities. They build their rice fields along Prey Lang’s edges and go into the forest for hunting, fishing, and gathering fruits and herbs for food and ceremonies. They tap several species of trees and collect the resin for making torches and caulking boats. Resin has become the main source of cash for many Kuy families who sell it for industrial use. Overall, the forest is the spiritual center of their lives.

Short Lived Victory: In 2002, the Prey Lang people and other forest communities persuaded the government to ban logging concessions. But their victory was short-lived as the government continued to award concessions to agro-industry and mining companies, both of which clear-cut the land.

Avatars: In May 2011, members of the Prey Lang Network gained international media attention for their staged demonstrations in Phnom Penh where they painted themselves blue and green, wore leaf hats, and called themselves Avatars, after the James Cameron film. (see links in the Additional Information Section above)

Repression & violence: Police armed with AK-47s have broken up Prey Lang Network meetings and Network members are being increasingly threatened with physical harm and criminal charges.