Greenpeace activists block cranes at the port of one of the largest pulp and paper mills in the world to stop pulp exports. The APP plant is fed by wood from one of the world's largest peatland forests, which stores up to 2 gigatonnes of carbon.
This action targets one of the largest pulp and paper mills in the world, where 12 activists have infiltrated the site and hung banners reading "Climate Crime" and "Forest Destruction: You can stop this."
The latest action comes despite intense efforts by local Sumatra law authorities to shut down a peaceful Greenpeace Climate Defenders Camp that supports the activists. This action comes less than two weeks before the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen.
Greenpeace Canada senior forest campaigner Stephanie Goodwin is at the action bearing witness to the climate crimes of forest destruction in Indonesia and to highlight the need for action from world leaders to end deforestation at the Summit.
APP is one of the main drivers of global climate change due to its widespread role in deforestation of carbon rich rainforests and peatlands.
"Prime Minister Harper must take a leadership role in Copenhagen and commit to ending tropical deforestation, reducing greenhouse emissions and protecting carbon stores like Canada's own Boreal Forest to avert mass species extinction, floods, droughts and famine in our lifetime." ---Goodwin.
For updates on the action, visit:
www.greenpeace.org/seasia/id/en/
On Monday, Goodwin, a key campaigner in the effort to save the Great Bear Rainforest in BC, joined the Climate Defenders Camp, the heart of a major Greenpeace effort to save the Indonesian rainforest. The camp, on the threatened Kampar Peninsula on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, has been ongoing for nearly five weeks despite continued police interference and threats.
After 50 brave activists shut down the operations of Indonesian pulp and paper giant APRIL plant recently, police arrested and intensively interrogated many of them. They deported 11 foreigners and some journalists.
Indonesian police then tried to shut down the camp. Approximately 300 members of the local community rallied and provided overwhelming support at the camp and forced the police chief to reverse his decision.
Since the action, the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry has suspended the operations of APRIL on the Kampar Peninsula, pending an investigation into its permits.
The climate threat of deforestation
Greenpeace has undertaken these actions because deforestation in countries like Indonesia is one of the main causes of climate change. Deforestation accounts for about one fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Much of the Peninsula's forestlands have been destroyed to make way for plantations, largely for products like pulp and paper and palm oil, which is transported around the world and used to make chocolate, toothpaste and beauty products. Greenpeace is calling on Indonesian President Yudhoyono to impose an immediate moratorium on any further rainforest or peat soil destruction.
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Read the full news release of today's action:
Read a new report "Indonesia's Forests and Climate Change: