Guest post by Wendell Covalt.
My name is Wendell Covalt and I’m a new Greenpeace volunteer. Im a retired part owner of a computer software company where I did sales and marketing. Ive supported Greenpeace for many years, and this weekend I organized an event at a local Barnes & Noble to get the company to stop purchasing paper from notorious forest destroyer Asia Pulp & Paper.
Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is clear cutting Indonesias rainforests, cutting protected ramin trees and using the wood to make paper, a violation of Indonesian and international law. These forests are home to the endangered Sumatran tiger, and with only 400 individuals left in the wild, it is critical that APP stops pulping their habitat. Greenpeace has approached many of APPs customers and have asked them to stop using APP paper. Mattel, Xerox, Dannon and Nestle are among the many companies that have suspended contracts with APP and its sister company Sinar Mas until the company reforms its practices. Greenpeace has contacted top management at Barnes & Noble and asked them to stop using APP paper, and so far, no response.
This Saturday, South Bay and West Los Angeles Greenpeace volunteers headed to the Torrance, CA store to communicate with the public and the manager that its time to drop the rainforest destruction. Ive been a part of some great Rainforest Action Network campaigns, and this was my first Greenpeace event.
I talked to the Barnes & Noble store manager before the event to explain our campaign. At the event, he was very friendly and even ask us if we wanted water. We held signs, handed out information, and talked with nearly every customer who came to the store.
Our message was simple: Barnes & Noble is buying paper from APP, a company who is clearcutting rainforest, illegally cutting protected Ramin trees, and destroying habitat for the endangered Sumatran tiger.Everyone we spoke to agreed that buying from APP was wrong and over 50 customers signed our petition asking Barnes & Noble to stop selling rainforest destruction.A few customers heard our story and turned around and left without going into the store because they no longer wanted to do business with B&N.
Everyone had fun and felt that they had made a positive contribution to furthering our cause against the environmental destruction of APP. Needless to say, well be coming back again and again, until Barnes & Noble gets the message and drops forest destruction from their shelves.
