Hi John,

Over a month ago the BBC broke a huge story about stolen Amazon land being illegally sold on Facebook.[1] Land grabbers are continuing to make huge profits while Facebook is turning a blind eye.

We’ve been calling on Facebook to take swift action, but so far they’ve been silent. It’s time to ramp up the pressure, so they can’t ignore us any longer. Can you help us by signing a petition? The more people who sign, the stronger our voice will be.

Sign the petition: [link removed]

Thanks for all you do,

Aakash,

Greenpeace UK

Note

[1] Amazon rainforest plots sold via Facebook Marketplace ads: [link removed]

PS: Here’s the email I sent you last time.

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Hi There,

Some things should never be for sale, but what if I told you that the unthinkable is happening?

According to the BBC huge chunks of the Amazon rainforest are being illegally sold on Facebook. [1] With just the click of a button, you can buy land in one of the most biodiverse parts of the planet. In some cases, land which is as large as a thousand football pitches is being marked for sale on the social media platform. [2]

Protected land should never be for sale. The Amazon rainforest helps regulate the climate and is home to millions of people – many of whom are Indigenous or traditional communities. Their lives are under threat and Facebook must take responsibility and put a stop to this immediately.

Can you call on Facebook to ban all sales on Facebook Marketplace of protected Amazonian land now!

Sign the petition: [link removed]

“We feel unsafe when we go to sleep. We fear someone will come and attack the village and attack us too.” [3] These are the words of Bitate, an Indigenous community leader of the Uru Eu Wau Wau people. Bitate and his community live in the Amazon and are also trying to protect it. He says Facebook should take responsibility for what it’s doing.

But Facebook is doing the opposite and passing the blame onto Brazilian authorities. The big problem with this is that in practice, it simply doesn’t work. Land grabbers can steal, destroy and sell protected Amazon land without fear. IBAMA, the federal agency that should have the power to fine and arrest loggers and farmers for breaking the law, have had their inspection budgets cut. The former head of the agency has gone on record to say “environmental crime is now free of charge”. [4] To make things worse, the Brazilian Congress aims to approve new legislation that will reward land grabbers and encourage more deforestation and invasions in protected lands.

Facebook is helping to connect illegal land grabbers to millions of potential buyers, but it doesn’t have to be this way. They have the power to immediately ban and disable all sales of protected Amazon land on their platform. They also have the power to block and remove users involved in this criminal and harmful activity. Can you sign the petition and call on Facebook to take swift action?.

Sign the petition: [link removed]

Over the last two years, since President Bolsonaro came to power, Amazon destruction in Brazil is not slowing down, it’s speeding up. Facebook is complicit in this destruction. Many of us are users of Facebook. We have the power to challenge the platform to do better. If thousands of us voice our anger, we could get the bosses of Facebook to listen and take action. That starts with this petition. Will you join in, and make your voice heard?

Sign the petition: [link removed]

Thanks for everything you do,

Aakash,

Greenpeace UK

Notes

1. Amazon rainforest plots sold via Facebook Marketplace ads: [link removed]

2. Amazon rainforest for sale on Facebook as deforestation soars: [link removed]

3. BBC - Our World - Selling the Amazon: [link removed]

4. Plots of Amazon rainforest being illegally sold through Facebook: [link removed]

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