Dear John,
This summer, fires destroyed thousands of square miles of the Amazon rainforest -- one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.
The fires were directly caused by a rush to expand industrial agriculture in Brazil and other Amazon countries. This is what happens when policies and politicians put corporate profits ahead of our environment and communities.
But it’s not just the Amazon that’s under threat. Trump wants to hand over the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to the fossil fuel industry. And the old growth boreal forests in Canada are under increasing threat from logging.
At Friends of the Earth, we’re not going to let corporate greed destroy our forests and the wildlife and communities that rely on them. If 75% of the people reading this email donate today, we’ll reach our fundraising goal to stand up for the planet over corporate profits -- but we can’t do this without you, John.
Stop corporations from destroying the Amazon and Tongass Forests: Donate $10 or more now!
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This fall, Brazil reported nearly 85% more fires burning than at the same time last year. Records show nearly 100,000 fires have burned so far in 2019.
When our forests burn or are clear-cut, wildlife, communities and the climate suffer. Indigenous communities of the Amazon are losing their homes. Most of the last remaining wild salmon population and bald eagles in the Tongass are under threat. And our forests are a critical line of defense against the climate crisis -- the Tongass alone stores more than 10% of all carbon consumed by America’s national forests.
The only ones who benefit from destroying our forests are giant corporations. The timber and mining industries want to clear-cut the Tongass to increase their profits. TransCanada wants to cut through Canada’s boreal forests to build the Keystone XL Pipeline. And the big agribusiness companies linked to the Amazon fires have financial backing from Wall Street giants like BlackRock.
Together, we can stop the destruction of our forests. But we’re running out of time -- and we need your help.
Help fight the destruction of our forests and the communities and wildlife that inhabit them: Donate $10 or more before it’s too late!
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We’re going up against huge corporations and their powerful cronies in the Trump Administration -- a daunting task. But with Friends of the Earth Members like you at our side, I know we can win this fight and protect our climate and wild places.
We have a comprehensive plan to protect our forests while supporting communities on the front lines of this fight:
- We’re working with champions in Congress to advance legislation to hold corporations accountable for their role in fueling the Amazon fires. And our efforts are paying off -- this fall, Rep. DeFazio introduced the “Act for the Amazon Act.” Many other Congressional offices have contacted the financial firms behind deforestation to press them to take action.
- We’re pushing the Wall Street firms financing the destruction of our forests to do better. Friends of the Earth Members like you have signed petitions, made phone calls, and showed up at BlackRock’s headquarters to deliver the message that BlackRock must divest from the climate crisis. This year’s Global Climate strike held mass demonstrations at BlackRock offices in five cities around the world! BlackRock’s CEO is paying attention -- but we need to keep the pressure on.
- Friends of the Earth Members like you sent nearly 30,000 comments to the Department of Agriculture demanding that it not open up Tongass National Forest to mining and logging development. The Trump Administration is required to consider your input when deciding how to proceed.
- We’re suing to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline -- which would cut through the boreal forests in Canada and threaten the drinking water of communities across the Western United States.
- The fight to save our forests around the world must be led by the people who inhabit them. So at Friends of the Earth, we’re working to stop the threats of violence that governments and corporations aim at forest and land defenders around the world. And when these activists face violence, we’re pushing the U.S. government to intervene.
You know that when we work together, we can move mountains. You and I have already made huge strides to protect Tongass National Forest. Your actions have helped delay Trump’s attacks on this iconic landscape for years.
But we’re running out of time. We’ve got to act fast, before our most iconic wild places and the biodiversity they support disappear forever -- and communities around the world are left with poisoned air, polluted water, and an unlivable planet.
Make a generous contribution to Friends of the Earth and help protect our forests, climate and communities from Big Ag and Big Oil!
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Standing with you,
Jeff Conant,
Senior international forests program manager,
Friends of the Earth
