Rainforest SOS

Photo: Geoff Oliver Bugbee for Mercy Corps

The preservation of tropical rainforests has never been more important. The destruction of the world’s forests is responsible for almost 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than the entire transportation sector worldwide.

It will, therefore, be almost impossible to stop the trend of global warming unless we can reduce these levels. To highlight the urgency of this issue, Mercy Corps is lending its support to a new campaign being launched by His Royal Highness, Prince Charles.

The Prince’s Rainforests Project (PRP) was set up by The Prince of Wales to educate people on the importance of rainforests in mitigating climate change and to engage them in the issue. The key message being conveyed is that destruction of rainforests has real and serious consequences for each and every one of us, no matter where we live, both today and for generations to come. More than 500,000 signatures have now been collected worldwide.

On September 30 the PRP will be launching Rainforest SOS Month, which aims to send the largest SOS in history to world leaders. This distress call will clearly state that it is critical to protect the rainforests now to curtail climate change in the future.

The SOS will be presented by The Prince of Wales to international political leaders prior to the forthcoming global Copenhagen climate change negotiations in December. In an historic meeting this spring, HRH convened world leaders on these issues and formed an international working group now working to achieve consensus on an emergency package of funding prior to the Copenhagen conference. The PRP has also drafted a proposal for emergency funding to support Rainforest Nations to transition into alternative sustainable economies.

In addition to signing up as a campaign supporter, Mercy Corps will be showcasing its innovative project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — which is using carbon financing to reduce deforestation through the introduction of fuel efficient stoves. The campaign will be spreading its message using radio, TV and the internet.

As Prince Charles has said, “The whole world is in this together.”