ActionExclusive magazine for WWF members ISSUE 8 Feb–May 2008

How crisps, shampoo and lipstick are pushing the orang-utan to the brink

Plane truthsWe unveil the aviation myths

RevelationDiscovery and hope in Vietnam

The green flag of the new EuropeEco wars in the EU

Snackattack

Thanks to you, everyday, somewhere in the

world, WWF is working for the benefit of

people, wildlife and the environment

thank you

1p on governance and monitoring systems

74p on conservation programmes, campaigns, education and raising awareness

23pgenerating more funds

2psupporting other WWF offices around the world

Of every pound that was spent, this is how it was used:

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Thisisonlypossiblebecauseofthegenerosityofyou,oursupporters.Everydonationallowsustobuildonour47yearsofconservationhistoryandgenerateapositiveandlong-lastingimpactonwildlifeandtheenvironment.

Oursuccessisreliantonadiversegroupofprofessionals,fromthescientistswhoimplementprojectsonthegroundtothelobbyistswhoinfluencegovernmentonmajorpoliciessuchastheClimateChangeBill.

Withalmost170,000othercharitiesintheUKcompetingforyourattention,wealsoneedcommunicatorstotellyouabouttheworkwedoandencourageotherstosupportourcausesowecanachieveevengreaterconservationgains.

In WWF’s last financial year, from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, WWF-UK raised a total of

£45.1 million If you would like more details, please visit wwf.org.uk/annualreview

Your donation means the world to us –

2 WWF ACTION Feb–May 2008

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WWF Action magazine is printed on paper that is 100% recycled and recyclable. It comes from waste paper – paper that has been used previously – e.g. newspapers, magazines and waste paper from printing companies and paper manufacturers.

WWF-UK Panda House, Weyside Park Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR t: 01483 426333 f: 01483 426409

WWF Action team

Mark Jones editor-in-chief Cedar Communications

Karen Wilsonmanaging editor WWF

Liv Thomlinson membership editor WWF

Anthony Field news and features editor WWF

Paul Cottamcopywriter WWF

Caroline Leacreative director WWF

We speak a lot about achieving the right balance in the natural world. In a way that’s what we try to

achieve in WWF Action magazine too: a balance between good and bad news, sounding alarms and trumpeting successes, between action on the ground and action in the boardrooms and governments around the world. So I hope you’ll

enjoy the balance of subjects in this issue. The orang-utan is a creature that inspires

conservation efforts the world over. In this issue discover how orang-utans are facing

extinction unless we curb man-kind’s relentless drive for palm oil. Of course, the planet’s species and habitats are also under pressure from wider global threats, such as climate change. Join in the great aviation debate – are cows really more dangerous than planes? WWF separates the facts from the fiction.

Yet the natural world thrives where we might least expect it. Read about nature’s innate ability to surprise

in the Revelation feature, where we showcase the new discoveries of Vietnam’s Green Corridor.

It is only through WWF’s loyal team of supporters that we can continue our work to keep places like Vietnam intact, while working tirelessly to shield species like the orang-utan from a tragic fate. That is why we salute your campaigning efforts and your fundraising endeavours in this action-packed issue.

Many of the environmental impacts we see across the world depend on the choices we make in our own lives – particularly the home. Property expert Sarah Beeny advises you on eco-renovating your house in our member pages.

After all that effort fundraising and renovating your house, why not treat yourself and enter our competition to win a year’s supply of environmentally friendly wine?

Here’s to a truly balanced world.

Welcome

Are cows really more dangerous than planes?

WIN A RADIO

Leila Lloyd membership manager

Front cover photograph © iStockphoto / Marc Dietrich

Back cover photograph © iStockphoto / Matt Jeacock

Member SurveyWWF Action is your magazine and it is your comments that help us to shape the magazine you receive.

Tell us what you think of WWF Action by completing our short questionnaire at wwf.org.uk/membersurvey

Everyone that completes the questionnaire before 14 March will be entered into a prize draw to win one of three fantastic Freeplay Digital DAB Wind-up Radios.

If you do not have access to the internet please call our Supporter Relations team on 01483 426333 and they will be happy to send you a copy in the post.

wwf.org.uk/membersurvey

We look forward to hearing from you.

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contents

COVER STORY Can we save the orang-utan?10

To contact us about changing your address details, direct debit, or for any other assistance, call our Supporter Relations team on 01483 426333 or email supporterrelations @wwf.org.uk

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WWF in Action 4 The good news map

A global take on WWF’s successes.

6 Mass extinctions predictedThe link is proven between climate change and species extinction.

8 Sailing into battleA remarkable stunt brings the climate debate alive at Westminster.

Cover story10 Can we save the orang-utan?

What do orang-utans, crisps and lipstick have in common? Palm oil. Find out how a staple of the western consumer diet is having devastating consequences for the great apes of Borneo.

Features16 Plane truths

Are cows more dangerous than aeroplanes? Jean Leston debunks the myths and highlights the facts about aviation and climate change.

18 The green flag of the new EuropeHow are the European Union’s newest members responding to the environmental challenge?

22 RevelationVietnam’s lost world – the once war-torn country is gradually unveiling its secrets as WWF helps to discover a host of new and forgotten species.

Members in Action24 Help up the ladder

TV’s property expert Sarah Beeney offers her top tips for green renovation.

26 Giving 100%Running marathons, climbing mountains and fasting on Christmas Day – the extraordinary fundraising lengths people go to for WWF.

Competitions and offers28 Red, white, rosé and green

Win a year’s supply of eco wine from one of South Africa’s most forward-looking wineries.

29 The cheaper green guide Discover the real cost of your shopping – get 20% off when you subscribe to Ethical Consumer magazine.

4 WWF ACTION Feb–May 2008

USA

Miller’s taleAn outstanding conservationist has received WWF’s highest accolade from our International President Emeritus, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, after helping directly preserve

the rich marine environment of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

Dr Denzil G.M. Miller was awarded the Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London. It recognises his work as executive secretary for the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, where he has made huge progress including, helping to halt illegal fishing and reducing the number of seabirds killed by long-line fishing.

wwf.org.uk/miller

Mapping progressThanks to you, where there’s WWF there’s hope

Reef rescueThe world’s second largest coral reef has a healthier future after the creation of a new law that bans damaging activities in its waters.

The Apo Reef, located off the coast of the Philippines, is dwarfed only by Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. WWF took a leading role in designating it a ‘no take zone’ to allow the reef and its resident species time to recover from years of over fishing.

wwf.org.uk/reefrescue

Hope for tunaThe world’s first ever certified sustainable tuna fishery is leading the way for the survival of the world’s most valuable fish. American Albacore Fishing Association, a California-based

fishery, was officially given the seal of approval by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) – the

organisation that sets strict standards for sustainable fishing.

“If we want our grandchildren to have tuna on their dinner plates and in the sea, sustainable tuna fishing practices must be adopted,” said Meredith Lopuch, director of WWF’s Community Fisheries programme.

Look out for the MSC label on tuna in your local supermarket.

wwf.org.uk/msctuna

New lynx discoveredA ‘secret’ population of Iberian lynx has been discovered in central Spain – inspiring hope for the future of this endangered cat species. Found in the remote region of Castilla-La Mancha, the group is said to include both adults and offspring. Researchers have yet to confirm if the population is genetically different from the lynx found in southern Spain. The Iberian lynx is threatened by shortage of prey, accidental roadkill, and destruction of its habitat for construction of houses. WWF is now lobbying the EU to protect all lynx habitat under existing legislation created for other areas and species.

wwf.org.uk/newlynx

Updated news from around the world can be found on our website every day –

wwf.org.uk/news

CENTRAL AFRiCA

Gorilla fight wins backing The gorilla kingdom will receive unprecedented protection from a trans-national mission to combat the threats facing the species. This is the first time that countries where this great ape species are found are to be bound by law to act together. Nine countries in Central Africa will unify to eliminate poaching, support policing of gorilla habitats and make the law and court systems more effective. Both WWF and TRAFFIC – the wildlife trade and monitoring network – were instrumental in helping form the new treaty.

“This is very exciting news,” said Diane Walkington, head of WWF’s Species programme. “The critical need for such an agreement has been demonstrated by the recent illegal killings of mountain gorillas in the Congo. There is no time to lose in translating this agreement into action.”

wwf.org.uk/gorillatreaty

Big fish come backA fishing ban aimed at reviving populations of the over-harvested pirarucu fish of Lake Santo Antonio in the Brazilian Amazon has resulted in the restoration of the species. Three years after legislation forbidding the hunting of pirarucu, fishermen were back harvesting the species at sustainable levels. They are now bound by a strict upper limit.

Only 56 pirarucu were estimated to remain in the lake in 2005. By May last year, however, there were a healthy 187. Pirarucu is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, and can reach up to three metres in length. WWF has been supporting work on sustainable fisheries in the Amazon rivers for over ten years.

wwf.org.uk/pirarucu

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Smart fishingThe number of harbour porpoises accidentally caught and killed in fishing nets could be significantly reduced thanks to a new invention by a Hampshire-based company.

The ‘Passive Porpoise Deterrent’ uses simple technology to increase the ‘acoustic visibility’ of

UK

SPAiN

ANTARCTiCA

a net, allowing the harbour porpoise’s echo-location system to alert the animal to danger. The innovative device has won the UK prize in the International Smart Gear Competition, organised by WWF to find solutions to the accidental capture of marine animals.

wwf.org.uk/smartgear

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the global view Good news from WWF

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Radical rice A pioneering method for growing rice could avert future global water crises, a WWF report has revealed. The study focused on India – a country which faces major water shortages but also has the world’s largest area of rice farms. It found that the new method – called the system of rice intensification (SRI) – uses 40% less water than conventional methods. Yields also increased by over 30% using the same techniques.

The SRI method also significantly reduces the amount of methane emissions, a harmful greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change, compared with conventional methods.

wwf.org.uk/radicalrice

6 wwf.org.uk 7

Past incidences of climate change can be linked to some of the greatest mass extinctions in the Earth’s history, a recent study has revealed

The joint study by the Universities of York and Leeds is the first to show a direct link between the Earth’s climate over

the past 520 million years and the five previous mass extinctions. Four out of the five previous extinctions were associated with an increase in temperatures whilst the fifth was linked to a drop in temperature.

The findings reinforce a report produced last year by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which suggested that rising temperatures are likely to increase the risk of extinction of between 20-30% of species if average global temperatures rise between 1.5ºC and 2.5ºC. Such a rise is likely before the year 2050 if humans continue to accelerate planetary warming through the release of greenhouse gases.

Temperature rises of up to 6.4ºC are forecast by the end of the century unless the carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change are stemmed. If they are not, there will be unimaginable consequences for life on Earth with conditions not seen since the end of the

WWF is striving hard to ensure global temperatures keep beneath the crucial 2ºC tipping point

the global view News and updates from around our world

Mass extinctions predicted

Going undercoverDying your hair blond, secretive missions and other surprising tales from the risky world of fighting the illegal global wildlife trade…

You could say it’s been an eventful 25 years for TRAFFIC’s Tom Milliken. As the longest-serving member of TRAFFIC – a joint programme of WWF and IUCN (the World Conservation Union) – he has been at the sharp end in the battle against the illicit trade in

wild animals and plants. Tom has even taken part in undercover missions, such as his campaign to expose the Indonesian trade in sea turtles in the 1980s. He felt compelled to dye his then black hair blond and shave off his moustache to prevent him being recognised by wildlife traders.

“I was completely transformed,” recalls Tom, who is now 56 and works as the director of TRAFFIC’s East and Southern Africa regional office. “But it was the only way I could discover how they do business, and the extent of the trade. Although I was personally horrified by my appearance, it actually worked.”

The investigation gave Tom an unrivalled insight into the trade, and enabled him to document illegal stockpiles of over 12 tonnes of hawksbill turtle shell. A crackdown on the industry followed, and when researchers returned to Indonesia years later, they discovered the collapse of the turtle market.

Although no TRAFFIC staff have been harmed during their investigations, there have been reports of researchers from some animal charities being injured and kidnapped after their cover was blown.

But TRAFFIC isn’t all about derring-do and confrontation. Tom has helped secure legislative successes for vulnerable species worldwide. TRAFFIC’s goal is to ensure that the trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.

Nowadays, TRAFFIC rarely carries out undercover work, relying instead on better cooperation from law enforcement agencies, which view wildlife crime more seriously than before. “In today’s world, I would never allow any of my staff to engage in deep undercover activities as the potential for things to go horribly wrong is now well recognised.”

Visit wwf.org.uk/illegaltrade to learn more about TRAFFIC and the illegal wildlife trade.

Tom has helped secure legislative successes for vulnerable species worldwide

wwf.org.uk 7

Bleak future for Baltic codMinisters defy the scientists

The future recovery of cod stocks in the Baltic Sea has received a serious setback after ministers ignored scientific advice to close the fishery late last year.

European Fisheries Ministers agreed fishing quotas which WWF believes are too high, resulting in the likely extraction of nearly 58,000 tonnes of cod – a large

Satellite imagery from NASA has revealed that forest fires in the Amazon reached near-record levels at the end of 2007, halting a period of steadily improving figures on deforestation rates. A surge in soy and cattle prices is thought to be the likely cause of the upward trend, since higher prices mean it is more lucrative to pay the bribes and labour costs involved in obtaining and cultivating forest land.

In 2006, environmentalists and the Brazilian government celebrated a sharp fall in deforestation rates, the third consecutive annual decline after

a peak in 2004. But with the price of commodities on the upswing, satellites recorded over 50,000 forest fires during the July-September 2007 burning period.

WWF has launched a major initiative to create a network of protected areas across the Amazon rainforest and to minimise the environmental impacts of a series of large-scale infrastructure projects, which would result in further forest loss.

Learn more about the Amazon rainforest at wwf.org.uk/amazonaction

Fires ravage the AmazonSoy prices drive forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon

portion of which will be readily available in UK supermarkets. An estimated two thirds of this figure will be harvested from the eastern stock – the most threatened population.

Ministers dismissed the scientific advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea – which has recommended a zero catch for eastern Baltic cod stock and a major reduction in the western stock.

Sally Bailey, marine manager at WWF says: “The EU has failed to meet its commitment to stop overfishing cod in the Baltic Sea. Chances for the stock to recover are now looking less and less likely as a result of this decision.”

WWF is campaigning for the EU to apply a system that would penalise a member state whose fleets have overfished. Visit wwf.org.uk/balticcod for more information.

• Sofar,75speciesoffroghavebecomeextinctduetooutbreaksofafungusthathasbeenexacerbatedbyglobalwarming.

• Climatechangehasbeenestimatedtobeamajordriverofspeciesandhabitatlossincoolconiferforests,savannas,Mediterranean-climatesystems,tropicalforestsandintheArctictundraandcoralreefs.

• OneofthemostobvioussignsofachangingclimateistherapidlossofsummerseaiceintheArctic–somescientistsestimatethatby2040therewillbelittlesummerseaiceleftatall.

• 10August2003wasthehottestdaysofarrecordedinBritain:thehighesttemperaturewas38.1°C(morethan100°F).Thisbeatthepreviousrecordof37.1°Cseton3August1990.

• Speciesmostatriskarethosethatarerare,havespecialisedfeedinghabitsorliveinisolatedhabitats,suchastheGeladababooninEthiopia,themountainpygmypossumofAustralia,themonarchbutterflyofNorthAmericaandtheProteaplantsofSouthAfrica.

DID YOU KNOW?

6

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Permian period, 251 million years ago, when temperatures were 6ºC higher. During this time, an estimated 95% of marine species and 70% of land species were lost.

“When you look at the short-term, ten-million-year fluctuations, we’ve shown there is quite a strong correlation between when things warm up and an increase in extinction rates,” said Professor Benton of the University of Leeds, who worked on the study, speaking to The Times.

As part of our One Planet Future campaign, WWF is striving hard to ensure global temperatures keep beneath the crucial 2ºC tipping point. The rate at which climate change is occurring means that many animal and plant species are finding it more difficult to adapt – indeed, the faster the rate of climate change, the more difficult it will be for an increasingly greater number of species and habitats to survive.

Mark Wright, chief scientist at WWF said “We knew that many of the planet’s animals and plants are under threat from climate change, but this study shows there are historical precedents which we must learn from if we are to avoid potentially catastrophic results – we have been warned.”

You can help us fight climate change. Visit wwf.org.uk/oneplanet to find out how.

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A crucial timeWith over 8,000 of you taking action on behalf of WWF – by emailing your MPs or signing our boat and plane – we’ve already sent a clear message to Gordon Brown and MPs in Whitehall of the need to include aviation and shipping in the Climate Change Bill.

Now, we’ll be pushing for them to increase the 60% reduction target for CO2 to 80%. WWF has already compiled a report to demonstrate that reaching such a target is achievable – even when you include the UK’s share of emissions for international aviation.

MPs will be debating the legislation over the coming months. There has therefore never been a more urgent time to carry on campaigning with WWF. As chief executive David Nussbaum said on the day the Prime Minister decided to make his first major speech on the environment: “We in civil society will do our bit – to lobby, to march, to educate, to persuade, to take action and to encourage others to do so too. But ultimately we look to our leaders to listen, and to act.” With your help, WWF will make sure they keep on listening – and take action.

Sailing into battleIt was a message

even the Prime

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change debate

As part of our One Planet Future campaign, WWF created giant paper models of a boat and plane and delivered them to

Parliament last November. The message: include aviation and shipping in the Climate Change Bill or it won’t be effective.

The boat and plane were a very public demonstration of WWF’s campaign to ensure the UK leads the way in tackling climate change by significantly cutting the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions. A changing climate is already having consequences for ecosystems, people and species across the world and unless urgent action is taken to reduce our carbon emissions, the future looks bleak.

The UK government has created ground-breaking legislation in the Climate Change Bill, but together with our Stop Climate Chaos* coalition partners, WWF believes it simply is not strong enough. Aviation and shipping are the fastest-growing sources of CO

2 emissions, yet they have been left

out of the bill. We strongly believe that these must be included and be subject to the same scrutiny and capping of emissions as other sectors. Likewise, the bill is calling for a 60% cut in emissions by 2050, but the scientific evidence indicates that, in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change, at least an 80% cut is needed by countries such as the UK.

The paper models, which took a prominent position on London’s South Bank before later being moved to Westminster, generated a lot of interest in WWF’s campaign. Our 6.5 metre boat, made from paper and bamboo and laden with

thousands of signatures, attracted hordes of onlookers as she made her maiden voyage on the Serpentine in Hyde Park.

While the paper boat and plane were being delivered to Parliament, Prime Minister Gordon Brown was also making positive noises about tackling climate change at a WWF event. He went further than ever in

conceding that the 60% reductions target may not deliver the UK’s fair share in the global challenge to cut carbon emissions and avert dangerous climate change, and added that “the character and course of the coming century will be set by how we measure up to this challenge.”

Significantly, he indicated that the new Committee on Climate Change will take a look at the evidence supporting a stronger target – and make a recommendation by the autumn. Although it’s difficult to imagine how the committee can conclude that anything less than an 80% reduction is needed, WWF still needs your support to continue to lobby the government to write the 80% target into the bill and urge them that boats and planes cannot be ignored.

Aviation and shipping are the fastest-growing sources of CO2 emissions, yet they have been left out of the bill

1 Logontowwf.org.uk/getonboardfordetailsofthelatestactionsyoucantakeinthemissiontotackleclimatechange.

2 ReadWWF’sreportonhowwecanreachan80%reductionatwwf.org.uk/eightypercent

Take Action

cAmpAigning

1 30% of species are predicted to face extinction if temperatures rise between 1.5–2.5ºC.

2 Theworldhasalreadywarmedby0.7ºCsincepre-industrialtimes.

3 Some glaciers in the Himalaya’s are receding at an average rate of 10 to 15 metres per year.

3FACTS

* Stop Climate Chaos is the UK’s climate change coalition of environmental and development organisations, unions, faith, community and women’s groups.

Right: Prime Minister Gordon Brown chose to make his first keynote speech on the environment at WWF’s One Planet Future seminar.

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Can we save theorang-utan?

Palm oil is in many of the things we consume in

the Western world, from the cosmetics we use

to the food we eat. But a soaring demand for the

crop is having tragic consequences for one of

our closest animal cousins, writes Paul Cottam R

Action

How crisps. shampoo and lipstick are pushing the orang-utan to the brink

Snackattack

WWF ACTION Feb–May 200810

12 WWF ACTION Feb–May 2008 wwf.org.uk 13

5FACTS

Hardly a day goes by without a shocking headline about the parlous state of the planet and the species that inhabit it.

Perhaps the public almost gets used to being shocked and we become, if not indifferent, then overcome by a feeling of powerlessness. But in 2007 scientists made a prediction that truly shook us all. According to a United Nations Environment program report, they predicted the virtual extinction of the orang-utan in 15 years or sooner.

With your support, WWF has already made significant progress in protecting the ‘man of the forest’, but this emergency call demonstrates just how much we still need to do to save the orang-utans and the many other creatures that rely on tropical forest to provide food and shelter.

We now know, if we didn’t know before, where the biggest emerging threat to the orang-utan comes from: palm oil. And the chances are, you’ve consumed it within the last few hours.

Forest clearance for palm oil will have a catastrophic impact on orang-utans if the millions of tonnes exported to world markets continues without meeting basic environmental standards. But why are the consequences so severe? Firstly, the palm oil industry is booming. Cultivation of the oil palm crop is expanding more rapidly than almost any other agricultural commodity in the world, with plantations already covering 9.7 million hectares of land. The reason is its versatility. Toothpaste, crisps, biscuits, pastry, margarine, ice cream, soap and detergents all use the oil. And here is a painful irony for the ecological movement: it could also provide a real alternative to non-renewable energy, such as petroleum, in the form of a biofuel.

Half of all palm oil plantations lie in the tropical zone of Indonesia and Malaysia – including Borneo and Sumatra, home to the orang-utan and a wealth of other species. Here, some unscrupulous industries are making their destructive mark on the natural forests that are also home to the Bornean pygmy elephant and the Sumatran tiger.

Unfortunately for the orang-utan, companies who set their sights on the forests of Malaysia and Indonesia often have little regard for the animals or people that live there. Plantation owners often burn or fell the forest to clear land

for palm oil, which then interrupts the orang-utans’ migration corridors – vital if the creatures are to reproduce and feed.

Some of the land targeted includes what the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) has labelled ‘high conservation value forests’ – areas which have been identified as a vital habitat for species. There are no alternatives for the orang-utan: without the food and shelter that the forest provides, they are simply vulnerable and hungry. Felling also isolates pockets of orang-utans and leaves them starkly exposed to poachers, who sell the young for the pet trade.

“The orang-utan is heading towards extinction,” says Adam Harrison, a WWF expert on palm oil. “But as emotive as that is, the issue is not about how to stop the production of palm oil – it’s about how to manage it sustainably.”

He’s right – shockingly, over 11 million hectares of already cleared land is suitable for oil palm plantations. So why choose the species-packed forests? “Many of the companies prefer to go for forest areas so that they can reap instant financial rewards from selling the timber,” Adam explains. “In some cases governments will give timber concessions in forests with the condition that palm oil plantations are to be established afterwards – but at the end of the day unscrupulous companies will sometimes take the money and run.”

But the orang-utans’ plight doesn’t end there. Many are often killed, captured or maimed by labourers when they encroach upon palm oil plantations – land that was once their natural home. Plantation workers are rarely local people and have little knowledge of the orang-utans’ behaviour. At times, employees are told by plantation bosses to assume that orang-utans are dangerous and treat them accordingly. The reality is that orang-utans can easily be guided away from plantations without the need to kill or injure the animal.

The havoc wreaked by some of the more unscrupulous palm oil companies is widespread. Some communities in Malaysia and Indonesia

• Somepopulationsoforang-utansarebeingdriventowardsextinctioninthetropicalforestsofBorneoandSumatra,south-eastAsia.Oneofthemostrapidly-acceleratingthreatsistheclearanceoftheirhabitatforoilpalmplantations–acropusedinmanyofourday-to-dayproducts.

• Anestimatedoneintenproductsonsupermarketshelvescontainspalmoil,fromdetergentstobiscuits.

• Iftheorang-utanistoavoidextinctioninaslittleas15yearsorsooner,partofthesolutionisthesustainablegrowthofoilpalm.Thereisestimatedtobeatleast11millionhectaresofalreadyclearedlandavailabletocompanieswhogrowoilpalm.

• TheRoundTableonSustainablePalmOil,setupbyWWFandseveralinternationalpartnersin2004,maynotsoundinspiring,butitispushingforasustainablecertificationsystemforpalmoil,muchliketheFSC(ForestryStewardshipCouncil)label,whichcouldwellbethesaviouroftheorang-utan.

IN BRIEF

1 Orang-utans are the largest tree-living mammals, and the only great ape found outside Africa. Their name means ‘man of the forest’.

2 Theadultorang-utanmeasures1.25–1.5metresfromheadtotoeandtheadultmaleweighs50–90kg.

3 Just 7,500 Sumatran orang-utans are thought to remain in the wild in Sumatra and 41,000 Bornean orang-utans in Borneo. The world has lost 50% of the total orang-utan population in the last ten years.

4 CharlesDarwincalledBorneo“onegreatwilduntidyluxurianthothousemadebynatureforherself”.

5 Unless urgent action is taken, the lowland forests of Borneo and Sumatra will be virtually gone by 2010 and the upland forests by 2020.

Palm oil is…• aderivativeoftheoil

palmfruit,whichisnativetoWestAfrica.ItwasintroducedtoMalaysiaandIndonesiaatthestartofthe20thcentury,andwasfirstcommerciallyproducedin1917.

• cholesterol-freeandtasteless–itisoftentoutedasahealthfood.

• fromthefruitoftheoilpalmtreethatcangrowto20metrestall.

• solidatroomtemperature,makingitaversatileingredientinmanyproducts.

rely wholly on the natural rainforest to sustain every part of their livelihoods, yet many producers simply bulldoze their land without permission. This is industrial bullying at worst and blatant disregard at best.

“Some of these companies just assume it is their land to take,” explains Adam. “But the local people rely on the land for hunting and need the timber to build their houses, make their tools and boats. They live off the land in a way which is largely sustainable. These actions force them to move.”

It is easy to be pessimistic about the orang-utan and the endangered species that share its habitat, particularly when you consider that even the kindest estimates predict global production

of palm oil to double by 2020. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) may not sound inspiring – but it could well be the saviour of the orang-utans of Borneo and Sumatra. Set up in 2004 by WWF and several international partners, including Unilever, its remit is to ensure palm oil production is sustainable. One of its biggest challenges is to make sure that the palm oil industry doesn’t use land used by endangered wildlife or local communities – in turn sparing valuable tropical rainforest. It also aims to establish a certification system – similar to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) labels – that will

Employees are told to assume that orang-utans are dangerous and treat them accordingly

Clockwise from top left:Harvesting palm oil fruits; Bornean pygmy elephant; Sumatran tiger; Poacher proudly showing a caught orang-utan baby.

The forests are also home to the Bornean pygmy elephant and the Sumatran tigerC

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guarantee best practice and palm oil that is derived from sustainable plantations.

So what can we all do to work in the best interests of the orang-utan? A boycott would be impossible to enforce and could potentially undermine efforts to persuade industries to create sustainable plantations. After all, it is estimated that at least one in ten products in your local supermarket contains palm oil, so trying to avoid it is an almost impossible task. At this stage, the best thing consumers can do is demand palm oil that meets sustainable standards: it is this which will force businesses to meet the strict criteria set by the RSPO, such as not clearing primary forest for plantations and full transparency in their working practices.

In November last year, the RSPO agreed on the stringent standards that companies have to satisfy before being certified. Now, WWF needs all major players in the global palm oil trade to sign up to the RSPO for it to be properly effective. Adam agrees that every part of the supply chain needs to be pressured in order for sustainable plantations to become the mainstream. “The consumer has to demand it, the retailer has to source it, and the manufacturer has to use it to ensure that the producer will grow it.”

There are no two ways about it: the very survival of the orang-utan hangs in the balance. Combined with deforestation and wildlife trade, the world’s insatiable thirst for palm oil could spell disaster for the ‘man of the forest’. But it’s not too late. RSPO has less than 15 years to make sure every part of the supply chain – from the consumer to the producer – is wholly committed to growing palm oil sustainably.

We have already seen the positive impacts certification is having across the globe: the FSC label is saving critical forests, while the fishing industry is being forced to wake up to sustainable harvesting with the creation of the MSC label. As bland as it may seem, the initials CSPO (Certificate of Sustainable Palm Oil) may be all it takes to save a precious, unique and beleaguered species.

1 ThemajorBritishsupermarketchainshavealmostalljoinedtheRSPO,butnowthatcertifiedsustainablepalmoilisavailable,theyneedtobepressuredintomakingsuretheproductstheysellcontainonlycertifiedpalmoil.Writetoyourretailerandaskthemtoconfirmwhattheyaredoingtosourcesustainablepalmoilintheproductstheyaresellingyou.

2 Writetomanufacturersofproductslikesoaps,detergentsandbakedfoodsandaskthempreciselywhattheyaredoingtoensurethepalmoilintheproductstheymakeandsellissustainablysourced.Palmoilissometimessimplylistedasvegetableoilonproductssoaskthemanageratyourlocalstoretoinvestigateexactlywhattypeofoiltheproductuses.

3 SupportWWFandourworkontheRoundTableonSustainablePalmOilandorang-utanconservationbycontinuingyourmembershipandencouragingotherstosupportus.

wwf.org.uk 15

Take Action

At least one in ten products in your local supermarket contains palm oil

Learnmoreaboutorang-utansandpalmoilatwwf.org.uk/orangaction

Visitwww.rspo.orgforafulllistofRSPOmembers.

WWF successYou’ve already helped us make great progress in protecting Borneo’s orang-utans. In 2006, a WWF campaign prevented plans to clear 1.8 million hectares of forest on the island to create the world’s largest palm oil plantation. Then in February 2007, with WWF’s support, a tri-country declaration to conserve 240,000 sq km of rainforest in the Heart of Borneo was signed by the governments of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. This represented a significant area of habitat for the island’s orang-utans, but WWF must continue to protect their forest home from our ever-increasing demand for palm oil.

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S

Aviation accounts for only 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions so why is it such an issue? Aviation may only represent 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions, but it accounts for 6.3% of CO2 emissions in the UK and it’s doubling every decade.

Plus, 2% represents just a snapshot for an industry that is growing incredibly rapidly at a time when total emissions need to come down fast.

There’s more: CO2 is not the whole story with planes – their total impact on the climate is between two and four times as large as their CO2 alone because the vapour trails and exhaust gases they release at high altitude trap more heat. This means they have an even stronger greenhouse effect.

So aviation is a much greater environmental threat than other modes of transport.

S

Are cows more dangerous than aeroplanes? Methane produced by cows accounts for 4% of total climate damage but aviation could account for up to 9%, which is why WWF is trying to reduce the global threat represented by this industry. You can reduce your footprint by cutting down the amount of meat and dairy produce you eat, but you will cut back more by reducing the amount you fly.

S

Isn’t technology making aeroplanes more fuel efficient? Sadly, there is no techno-fix which is currently big enough, or fast enough. New aircraft designs may help but even with every new technology you can imagine, aviation growth will still outstrip improvements by 4% per year.

The Dreamliner has 25% greater fuel efficiency than a plane designed 20 years ago, but that only represents an improvement of just over 1% every year.

Plus, it will take several decades to replace the older, dirtier planes.

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Surely, one person can’t make any difference – won’t the plane take off anyway? WWF believes that we all have an individual responsibility to lower our personal footprint. If we reduce our demand on flying, then airlines won’t need to schedule so many flights. It is harnessing your power as a consumer that really counts here.

If you are considering a short haul flight, why not investigate other options such as the ferry or train? Four return flights to the South of France release the equivalent of more than 2 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere per passenger. However, if you take the train, your carbon footprint could be one tenth of this.

It’s easy to be confused about whether or not

to fly, given the often heated debate between

airlines and environmentalists. So how do

you sort out the fact from the fiction?

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I can fly and offset – so what’s the problem? We are not opposed to offsetting – but it should be used as a last resort. WWF believes it is a good idea to have a list of priorities when considering when to fly:

• Reduce the need to travel in the first place. Is it really necessary?

• Reduce the distance that you need to travel where possible.

• Choose the least polluting mode of transport to take you to your destination.

• If you must fly, consider offsetting your emissions.

As some offsetting schemes are better than others, make sure that you support ‘Gold Standard’ companies as described in wwf.org.uk/offsetting

S

Why act now? For WWF there is a clear link between pandas and planes. As highlighted in the report featured on page 6, there is a direct correlation between climate change and increased rates of extinction. Combating climate change is a key part of our One Planet Future campaign.

As part of that campaign we’re working to stabilise, and then reduce, aviation emissions. And we’ll continue to tackle other CO2 emission problem areas too – including our homes (currently one third of UK CO2 emissions) and deforestation (one quarter of global CO2 emissions). The most important thing right now is lobbying for changes to business and industry through legislation such as the Climate Change Bill – see page 9 for details.

Aviation cannot be ignored if we are to avert the potentially disastrous consequences of climate change. Our most precious species and habitats are depending on it. PLANE

TRUTHS

WWF’s Transport

Policy Officer,

Jean Leston,

answers some of

the most common

questions in the

great aviation debate

1 Per passenger, flying releases 10 times more CO

2 emissions

than train travel.

2 There were 235 million individual passenger trips in 2006 – a figure expected to rise to almost 500 million by 2030.

3 The world fleet of aircraft is expected to double by 2020.

4 In effect, every UK taxpayer subsidises the aviation industry by over £300 every year, as airlines pay no fuel tax or VAT.

5 A return flight from London to New York releases 3.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per passenger, that’s the same as running your fridge for 35 years.

S

5FACTS

1 Start by cutting back on short-haul flights as these emit more C02 per passenger kilometre and are easier to replace with alternative forms of transport. But also rethink long-haul holidays as these produce far more C02 overall.

2 Object to airport expansion – by writing letters, joining, or even starting, a local group.

3 If you work in an office, use video-conferencing, web or audio-conferencing where possible to reduce the number of business flights.

Take Action

Read WWF’s latest climate change report at wwf.org.uk/eightypercent

Visit wwf.org.uk/oneplanet to calculate your own personal impact on the planet

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18 WWF ACTION Feb–May 2008 wwf.org.uk 19

The attitude of the new EU states to

environmental issues has been under close

scrutiny since the wave of accessions in

2004. Mark Jones looks at the progress

made and the flashpoints along the way

The green flag of

the new Europe

Left: Residents hold banners as they block a main crossroad in the centre of Augustow, north-east Poland, July 2007, to protest against EU plans to construct a motorway through wildlife-rich Rospuda valley (far left).

• TwelvestateshavejoinedtheEuropeanUnionsince2004.

• TheEUworkswithorganisationssuchasWWFtoensurethatthehugeinfrastructurespendingthatflowsfromEUgrantsisspentinawaythatbalancestheneedforgrowthwitharesponsiblymanagedenvironment.

• Somegovernmentsaremoreco-operativethanothers–theBalticstatesaresingledoutforespecialpraise.

• PolandremainsonacollisioncoursewiththeEUandinternationallawoveritsplanneddestructionofauniqueprimevalhabitat.

IN BRIEF

Last summer, a company began planting trees on a bare island near the Tisza River in Hungary. These weren’t any old trees:

they were blessed by the Pope himself. A company specialising in carbon offsetting had begun creating The Vatican Forest, a project designed to make the Holy See into the world’s first carbon-neutral state. In a ceremony marking the event, Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, quoted Pope Benedict XVI’s plea for the international community to respect and encourage a “green culture”.

Here, it seemed, was a powerful act: a new member of the European family joining hands with its most venerable institution to create a better future for the continent. But here, in reality, we saw an act of tokenism.

Carbon offsetting is all very well – especially if you use one of the gold standard schemes recommended by WWF on page 16. (The Vatican didn’t.) But it’s not a solution. As one environmental commentator pointed out, “Planting forests will only compensate for a small fraction of emissions, even if you cover all of Hungary in young trees”.

The truth is, combating climate change and environmental degradation within Europe is a huge and complex task. Many feared that the task would become much harder in 2004, when the ten so-called “accession states”, Hungary among them, joined the EU. Seven of the ten were part of the old Eastern Bloc, where the mismanagement and destruction of natural resources had been endemic under the former

Communist rulers. Now, with vast amounts of money flowing from EU infrastructure grants, a new era of uncontrolled expansion loomed. It wasn’t as if the older EU member states had a healthy precedent to point to. In Greece, Portugal, Spain and some recent additions to the Union, the boom in construction and road building had cost, and continues to cost, those countries dear in environmental terms.

Once infrastructure grants are made, the EU lets go and allows the member states to spend as they wish. It could be a recipe for environmental chaos were it not for the efforts of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as WWF.

“In the past, the money has not always been spent wisely,” says WWF’s policy advisor, Stefanie Lang. “The infrastructure projects have been outsized for the needs of the people or put in places where the natural habitat is especially vulnerable. That’s why we’re closely involved in a new system of regional development to help make sure the funds are spent wisely”.

The legal pressure to be an environmentally good citizen – for members old and new – is intense. WWF’s programme officer, Rebecca Saunders, explains: “The member states are supposed to co-operate with environmental laws, but willingness and capacity to do so varies considerably from nation to nation. That is where WWF can come in – putting pressure on governments when things are going wrong – by mobilising the public through campaigning emails, for example”.

So there is co-operation and co-operation. The performance of Latvia has, according to Stefanie, been “absolutely brilliant”. WWF is a genuine partner in deciding policy and infrastructure design and making sure tender processes are more transparent.

That’s something Stefanie ascribes partly to the healthy influence of the Baltic States’ Scandinavian neighbours. But the primary reason is political. When the former Communist states were fighting for their independence in the late eighties and early nineties, the nascent green movements in those states were in the frontline against the inefficient, polluting superstate that was the USSR. Their influence in the political process remains strong.

Elsewhere, there has been more lipservice than progress. In Slovakia, NGOs took the drastic step of boycotting the development process in frustration at the authorities’ inaction

“The member states are supposed to co-operate with environmental laws, but willingness and capacity to do so varies considerably from nation to nation”

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and hostile attitude to sharing information. Stefanie concedes that it was a drastic step, but a necessary and, it seems, effective one to alert Slovakia’s EC partners to a looming crisis.

It’s a mixed picture elsewhere. In Bulgaria, planned spend on the environment has doubled. But a proposal to build a motorway in the Kvena Gorge could threaten Natura 2000 sites (see opposite), and the country’s burgeoning tourism industry has led to pressure to build and expand ski resorts in the pristine Rila and Pirin National Parks. Romania too is planning a 100% increase in its environment budget. WWF is concerned, however, about a proposed road through an important wilderness area and the Orthodox church’s plan to build a tourism complex in the core of a nature park.

But the most high-profile falling-out between the green movement and an accession state is in north-east Poland. There, the Government persists in the face of international law and a Newbury bypass-style protest camp to force a bypass through the uniquely precious peat boglands of the Rospuda valley. This is a primeval and untouched landscape where wild boar, elk, lynx, lesser spotted eagle and white-tailed woodpecker have thrived untroubled for centuries.

The European Commission sides with the protestors. Yet it is the very allocation of EU grants that can create conflicts. The campaign group Bankwatch estimates that £78bn of funds was awarded to new member states by the European Investment Bank between 1996 and 2005 – and more than half has gone on transport funding for roads and airports. That’s not to say that WWF and other organisations are not providing a very effective counterbalance. Around

5FACTS1 The membership of the European Union has been increased five times. The largest occurred on 1 May 2004, when 10 new member states – Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia – joined. Bulgaria and Romania came onboard in 2007.

2 AswellasworkingwithBrusselsandthememberstates,WWFmobilisesitsmemberstocampaignonspecificissues–suchastheREACHcampaign,whereweemailedMEPsandleadersdirecttolobbyfortougherchemicalslegislation.

3 The EU’s first policy on the environment was formulated in 1972.

4 TheEUSpringCouncilvotedin2007tocutgreenhousegasemissionsby20%by2020–or30%aspartofaninternationalagreement–andtocommitto20%renewablesanda20%increaseinenergyefficiencyby2020.

5 The disappearance of wetlands over the last century in Europe has been dramatic, ranging from 60% in Denmark to 90% in Bulgaria. Europe has lost up to 90% of its floodplains due to river alterations for agriculture, navigation, flood control and other purposes.

€50bn is spent annually on regional policy. Of this, roughly 30% is now planned to be spent on the environment (environmental infrastructure, public transport, water, air, waste, energy, nature protection). Due to WWF’s influence, this amount is double last year’s spend.

Yet Stefanie Lang understands why states like Poland, which currently has a mere 700km of motorways, need to support poorer regions such as the north east. All she asks for is the opportunity to work with the Government to avoid conflicts with nature from the start. “It’s a better proposition to be a partner,” she says. “In some of the old European states, we simply learned that lesson too late”.

Bulgaria’s burgeoning tourism industry has led to pressure to build and expand ski resorts in the pristine Rila and Pirin National Parks

21 wwf.org.uk

1 Austria

2 Belgium

3 Denmark

4 Finland

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6 Germany

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8 Ireland

9 Italy

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12Portugal

13Spain

14Sweden

15UnitedKingdom

Joined in 200416Cyprus

17CzechRepublic

18Estonia

19Hungary

20Latvia

21Lithuania

22Malta

23Poland

24Slovakia

25Slovenia

Joined in 200726Bulgaria

27Romania

EU MEMBER STATES

The EU Water Framework DirectiveThe EU Water Framework Directive provides an opportunity to protect and improve the water quality of Europe’s precious rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The directive is based on an integrated approach which demands that all activities within a river basin be considered with the wider environment in mind.

WWF stresses that it is crucial that the directive be implemented on time and in full. Some old member states have been slipping behind the timetable, while many of the new members seem to be more committed to effective implementation – but are often hindered by lack of capacity and technical expertise.

The biggest test of the directive is the River Danube, which begins in Germany’s Black Forest and flows through ten European countries before emptying into the Black Sea. The river supports some unique habitats and globally important plants and animals, but these are threatened by old-fashioned plans to promote navigation – widening and deepening the river channel to fit the river to the ships, rather than the ships to the river.

Eighty percent of the Danube’s former floodplains have already been lost to land conversion for navigation and agriculture. While the upper stretch of the river is lacerated by 60 dams, the middle and lower stretches are relatively well-preserved and are some of the most important wetland areas in the world.

Natura 2000The EU’s ecological network of protected sites, known as Natura 2000, already protects 18% of the land in the pre-2004 states: negotiations are now reaching a critical point with the accession states. There are promising signs here – WWF believes that the new member states are showing more enthusiasm for the project than their forebears. Slovenia has proposed that a record 35% of its surface area falls under Natura 2000, while Slovakia and the Czech Republic propose 28.9% and about 20% respectively. But as Slovakia’s record on meaningful co-operation shows (see previous page), proposing and acting are two very different things.

Euro fighters – WWF’s two big campaigns

The lesser spotted eagle (above) and elk (page 18) reside in the Rospuda valley, Poland

Visitwwf.org.uk/euactionformoreinformationonWWF’sworkinEurope.

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Revelation

Lost worlds give up their secrets New Guinea In 2006, the Foja mountains of New Guinea revealed a new large mammal (the golden mantled tree kangaroo), 20 species of frog (including one less than 1.5cm in length) and four new butterflies.

Suriname In 2006, scientists exploring the South American highlands of Suriname discovered 24 new species, including four frog species and six species of fish.

Borneo Also in 2006, WWF highlighted the ‘lost world’ of Borneo. At least 52 new species of animals and plants were identified in one year, along with the revelation that Borneo’s clouded leopard was a separate species from its mainland counterpart.

Papua Over 50 creatures were found in an underwater exploration of the Bird’s Head Seascape off the Indonesian province of Papua in 2006. The revelations included a shark that appeared to ‘walk’ on its fins.

Madagascar Two new species of lemur were discovered on the African island of Madagascar in 2005. One of these, the Goodman’s mouse lemur, is so small that it can fit in the palm of your hand.

1 Vietnam’s Green Corridor contains the greatest number of one of the world’s most endangered primates, the white-cheeked crested gibbon.

2 The Green Corridor is the best location in Vietnam to conserve the saola, a unique type of wild cattle only discovered by scientists in 1992.

3 The Annamite mountains extend for 1,100 km along the border of Laos and Vietnam, running parallel to the coast.

4 The mountains support over 200 species of mammal, 800 types of bird and 800 different tree species.

5 A further five species of orchid and six other flowers collected from the Green Corridor are currently being described by scientists.

5FACTS

As the horrors of war recede into history, the unspoilt beauty of Vietnam is slowly revealing itself. Tucked deep in

South-east Asia, this is a land of verdant green paddies, mist-shrouded mountains and sweeping deserted beaches. In the centre of north Vietnam, mountains tower over tiny villages where life has stood still for centuries. And for time immemorial, neighbouring Laos, Cambodia and southern China have shielded Vietnam from the outside world – helping retain its mystical allure.

It is only now that we are discovering that this mysterious landscape also harbours a wealth of ecological secrets. Scientists recently found 11 new species in a remote area of central north Vietnam, known as the Green

We’re too used to the depressing news of extinction, environmental depredation and war. Yet the occasional beam of light reveals new species and ecosystems, even in places once ravaged by conflict – like Vietnam. Paul Cottam reveals how the country is becoming famous for its ecological future rather than its violent past

Corridor, located deep in part of the country’s imposing Annamite mountain range. Among the astounding revelations were a frog-eating snake, a new species and subspecies of butterfly, and an orchid that lives on decomposing matter.

Prior to last year’s discoveries, in 1992 a forest-dwelling ox called the saola was identified. This exciting find, coupled with the discovery two years later of a giant muntjac, a deer native to the lowland forests, generated worldwide media coverage and revealed the lush forests of northern Vietnam as one of nature’s beating hearts, a centre of biodiversity that is likely to yield new surprises well into the future.

If a reminder of nature’s innate ability to surprise were needed, Vietnam’s Annamite mountain range certainly supplies it. Scientists have delved into the remotest regions of the Green Corridor and beyond to try to determine north Vietnam’s true conservation value. The latest, WWF-backed expedition proved to be a revelation.

One of the extraordinary finds was a new snake species, called the white-lipped keelback.

This distinctive snake makes its home next to streams, living off a diet of frogs and other small animals. The colourful specimen has a beautiful pair of yellow-white stripes along the side of its head, while red dots speckle its body. When fully extended, the white-lipped keelback can reach 80cm in length.

Scientists are just as excited about the eight new species of butterfly discovered in the province since 1996. One is a skipper – a butterfly with quick, darting flight habits, from the genus Zela. The other is an entirely new genus, a new category of butterfly within a family that already exists, a discovery that scientists say reinforces the area’s importance.

Perhaps most surprising of all are five new orchid species, including three species that stand apart from their sun-loving counterparts. These

leafless species feed on decaying matter and contain no chlorophyll, meaning they do not use the sun for photosynthesis.

Also uncovered was a remarkable aspidistra – a plant that produces a flower that is almost black. Relatives of this plant are used as houseplants, and are able to withstand very low light levels. Complementing the breathtaking aspidistra is a newly discovered arum plant, which boasts stunning yellow

flowers flanked by funnel-shaped leaves.The challenges of conservation cannot be

overestimated, yet Vietnam is living proof that there is plenty to celebrate. And while we mourn our environmental losses around the world, Vietnam’s Green Corridor and other hotspots of life remind us what we are all striving to protect.

Vietnam is living proof that there is plenty to celebrate

WWF: a strong presence in VietnamWWF was one of the first international non-governmental organisations to work in Vietnam. In 1985, WWF began working with IUCN (the World Conservation Union) to create a national conservation strategy for the country. Since that time, WWF has worked on programmes for conserving and protecting forests, marine areas and species, with the Annamite mountain range being a priority area for conservation. This year, WWF will contribute almost £500,000 of funding to conservation work in Vietnam.

For more information visit wwf.org.uk/greencorridor

This page: Mist-shrouded mountains of north Vietnam.

Clockwise from right: The saola discovered in 1992; a newly discovered orchid species; white-lipped keelback snake.

Right: The almost black flower of the new aspidistra plant.

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Sarah says: Insulating your home is the single most important thing you can do to reduce its carbon footprint – and it takes less than a day to install! Standard insulation is readily available, but there are also a growing number of environmentally friendly insulations on the market, including recycled newspaper, sheep’s wool and hemp, which require less energy and chemicals in their production.

Since the last column I have been very busy renovating my new house and trying to make it more

energy efficient. It already had double-glazed windows, but no central heating, so first on the list was an A-rated, solar-compatible boiler to power water-based underfloor heating. The system can save up to 30% of fuel, needs less maintenance and lasts longer than radiators.

With all those benefits I was astonished how hard it was to find a plumber and electrician who were confident in installing it within my (admittedly very tight) budget. I ended up doing a lot of research and it was some task to organise, instruct and coordinate the different tradesmen. But it was worth it – not only do we now have lovely warm feet, but the more people that demand underfloor heating the easier and cheaper it will become to install it.

I used eco-friendly paint and floor varnish and generally tried to stick to recyclable and eco-friendly materials. And after trying to recycle or get rid of three skips’ worth of rubbish from the previous occupants of the house, I tried to keep everything I brought in to a minimum: I decided on bare, stripped floorboards, no wallpaper and as little furniture as possible – I prefer an uncluttered home. Not that I have that much choice anyway – I have been scraping around on the bottom of my overdraft for some time, so solar-thermal panels and the new roof will have to wait. Luckily there is some loft insulation already, but I will add some more between the rafters when the roof is being done.

Now that my home is on track, I will see if I can make the office I work in greener.

For any ideas, please email sonja.klug@cedarcom.co.uk

Leila says: If you are undertaking renovation work like Sonja or building from scratch then underfloor heating is a great option to explore. Apart from the logistical advantages of not needing radiators, underfloor heating is also better for the environment as it should run at much lower temperatures (35ºC) than conventional radiators (75ºC). Underfloor heating also works well with a condensing boiler – the most energy-efficient type of boiler – as well as solar hot water and ground source heat. The Centre for Alternative Technology can provide advice on suppliers and installers of underfloor heating www.cat.org.uk

And, as Sonja knows all too well, it’s vital to get your loft properly insulated, as this will save more energy than anything else. The Energy Savings Trust (www.est.org.uk) recommends a minimum loft insulation depth of 270mm which would save her nearly one tonne of carbon dioxide emissions.

Happy feetUnderfloor heating wastes less and works better – so why, wonders Sonja Klug, is it so hard to find someone who can install it?

“The more people demand underfloor heating the easier and cheaper it will become to install it”

Eco-paintsearthBorn EcoChic claypaint, made from clay pigments – VOC free

Costs: £48 for 5 litres

From: Shops across the UK – visit www.earthbornpaints.co.uk for a supplier near you

Sarah says: Next time you’re at your local DIY store, bear in mind that many standard paints contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), chemicals which are linked to asthma and cause air pollution. This is because they are made from man-made chemicals. Eco-paints are made from natural ingredients and some are even compostable. There are lots of eco-paints on the market including Nutshell Paints, Auro Organics and ECOS paints.

Help up the ladderMany of us are determined to green up our houses but don’t know where to start. We called on Sarah Beeny, presenter of Channel 4’s Property Ladder, to demystify the process of eco-proofing your home.

Doors and windows Grosvenor glazed external door – FSC certified

Costs: £130.48

From: Chindwell Doors www.chindwelldoors.co.uk

Sarah says: Remember to look out for the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) logo when buying timber-based products for your home. This indicates wood sourced from well-managed forests. Many high street retailers now stock FSC wooden doors and floors, including B&Q and Homebase. FSC windows are also available from specialist suppliers, such as the Green Building Store.

Solar panelsSolar water heating can provide almost half the hot water requirements of the average home

Costs: £3,500 to £5,500 for the most efficient systems

From: The Energy Savings Trust has a list of accredited suppliers and installers www.est.org.uk

Sarah says: Solar water heating, which uses solar panels to absorb energy from the sun to heat water, is a popular way to reduce your carbon footprint. Grants in the region of £400 are available if you have your system installed by an accredited supplier. You will need 3–4 square metres of south-east to south-west facing roof receiving direct sunlight for the main part of the day for a domestic system.

www.nutshellpaints.com www.auroorganic.co.uk www.ecospaints.com

www.naturalinsulations.co.uk www.secondnatureuk.com www.greensteps.co.uk

www. diy.com www. homebase.co.uk www. greenbuildingstore.co.uk

www.alternativeflooring.com www.forbo-flooring.com www.thenaturalfloorcompany.com

Natural flooringCork makes a fantastic floor covering and it’s a truly renewable resource – harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree

Costs: £2.96 for a pack of nine (300mm x 300mm) tiles

From: B&Q www.diy.com

Sarah says: Natural flooring, such as those made from 100% cork, wool, jute and coir, are better for the environment because they avoid the petrochemicals and therefore energy used in the production of many synthetic products such as nylon carpets and vinyl.

www.est.org.uk

Go online

“Eco-paints are made from natural ingredients and some are even compostable”

MeMbers in Action going green

MeMbers in Action green renovAtion

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Visit wwf.org.uk/oneplanet for other ideas on how to reduce your impact on the planet.

WWF ACTION Feb–May 200824

26 WWF ACTION Feb–May 2008 wwf.org.uk 27

Thanks also to… Guy Wilverson, who raised over £1,000 after completing the Sahara Marathon; Miss R Solly, who did a tandem skydive on WWF’s behalf; and Georgie Beatie, who raised over £1,000 by doing a sponsored walk. A big thank you must also go out to youngsters Zayd Ascroft and Megan-Kate Delaney, who generously asked friends to donate money to WWF instead of buying presents on their fourth birthdays!

THANK YOU to all supporters who have raised money for WWF, whether by ordinary or extraordinary means. In particular we’d like to thank all the schools and community groups who raise funds for WWF throughout the year.

Money into action Your donations are having a decisive effect around the world

Antarctic appeal £110,000 raised so farThanks to everyone who responded to our Christmas appeal to help us protect the fragile ecosystems of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

The funds will support a wide range of WWF initiatives, such as creating marine protected areas covering at least 10% of the Southern Ocean, and preventing fish stocks and other Antarctic species from being over-exploited. In addition, the money will boost our work to ensure the impacts of climate change are minimised and help us tackle illegal fishing – threats which affect the albatross and penguin, among other Antarctic species.

Amur leopard Christmas Raffle £186,000 raisedAn overwhelming 10,500 of you were busy buying or selling raffle tickets over the festive period, for our Amur leopard draw.

With as few as 25 to 34 left in the wild, the Amur leopard is the world’s most endangered cat. This new injection of funds will throw a lifeline to the Amur leopard and help fund other conservation projects around the world.

Thank you

22 April 2008 is Earth Day Why not organise your own fundraising activity for WWF on Earth Day? www.earthday.net

wwf.org.uk 27

Giving100%

The success of WWF relies on the generosity and enthusiasm of our supporters. Here we shine the spotlight on the amazing lengths – both physical and mental – individual supporters go to on behalf of WWF and the planet.

Martin Holland Running marathons

The unstoppable Martin Holland, a 23-year-old student, is about to complete a set of six marathons in the space of six months in aid of WWF. Martin, originally from Suffolk, had never run a marathon prior to the ambitious feat. Asked why he chose this particular challenge, he replied that “six sounded like a nice round number!”

The gruelling mission that started last October has taken him on some of the most challenging routes in the UK, including Snowdonia in Wales, which some consider to be Britain’s toughest road race. His mission climaxes in April, when the daring Falmouth University student will complete what many have dubbed ‘the hardest marathon in Britain’: Exmoor.

It is Martin’s love for the environment and the natural world that triggered his decision.

“I wanted to do something that would be ongoing, that would grab people’s attention and give me an excuse to talk to them about how amazing our planet is, and how we need to act responsibly.”

Martin has £345 pledged to him already – you can support his marathon quest too by visiting www.justgiving.com/6marathons

Sophie Bullas Climbing mountains A determination to help WWF protect endangered species spurred 23-year-old Sophie Bullas to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2006. As part of Charity Challenge, which organises physical challenges throughout the world in aid of good causes, she conquered the famous peak in the knowledge that she had raised over £3,300 for WWF.

Sophie, from south Wales, cycled the 16 mile round-trip to work three times a week as part of her training. She told WWF Action magazine: “I had never done anything this big before. It took a lot of training. I wanted to educate people about endangered species and the need to preserve them.” She endured altitude sickness and temperatures of -25ºC in order to boost funds for WWF. “The organisers would not let me stand still as I would have frozen to death,” she recalled.

Rebecca Singleton Christmas Day fast

Resisting temptation, resolute Rebecca Singleton felt so strongly about WWF that she fasted… on Christmas Day. The 29-year-old from Dublin was so inspired by ITV’s Extinct programme, which was made in conjunction with WWF, that she deprived herself of food on the most indulgent day of the year.

“I watched the plight of the species, especially the orang-utan and the panda, and I knew I had to take action,” she said. While people all around the country prepared to feast on the big day, our iron-willed supporter managed to sit back and watch as friends and family tucked into turkey and all the trimmings. She raised over £1,300 in the process, so a big thank you to Rebecca.

“I wanted to do something that would be ongoing, that would grab people’s attention, give me an excuse to talk to them about how amazing our planet is, and how we need to act responsibly”Martin Holland

“I watched the plight of the species, especially the orang-utan and the panda, and I knew I had to take action”Rebecca Singleton

• Almost 600 of you raise money for WWF each year through your own fundraising challenges – last year, this amounted to an amazing £100,000!

• WWF produces a fundraising pack with ideas to help and inspire. Get your pack by visiting wwf.org.uk/events or call 01483 426333.

• You can organise your own event and set up a web page on www.justgiving.com where people can donate to you electronically.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rebecca raised

£1,330 THANK YOU

Martin has raised

£345to date

THANK YOU

MeMbers in ActionthAnks to you

MeMbers in Action AppeAl updAtesSophie

raised

£3,322 THANK YOU

“I had never done anything this big before. It took a lot of training. I wanted to educate people about endangered species and the need to preserve them”Sophie Bullas

28 WWF ACTION Feb–May 2008 wwf.org.uk 29wwf.org.uk

Win a year’s supply of environmentally friendly wine

Are you a wine enthusiast? Then you won’t be able to resist this opportunity to win a year’s supply of African Dawn wine – produced by one of South Africa’s most environmentally friendly wineries – and only recently introduced to the UK market.

Some 90% of South Africa’s wine production occurs within the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest yet richest plant kingdom on Earth, and the Rooiberg Winery is pioneering an initiative which will ensure that this vulnerable natural habitat is protected.

All African Dawn wines contain a sustainably-sourced FSC cork stopper, thereby supporting another valuable habitat – the cork oak landscapes of North Africa. And, what’s more, WWF receives a donation from the sale of every bottle (totalling £20,000 a year or more) to support our conservation work.

For your chance to win, unravel the anagram below to reveal the name of a famous South African grape variety.

G E N PAT I O Send your answer, along with your name, address, email and telephone number to: Wine Comp, WWF-UK, Panda House, Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR or winecomp@wwf.org.uk

Entries must reach us by 20 March 2008

The year’s supply constitutes 54 bottles of African Dawn wine and will include a mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage.

www.africandawnwines.com

Red, white, rosé and green

Ready for a Spring clean, but want to ensure the products you use have minimum impact on the environment? Then the Ecover starter kit could be just what you’re after.

Ecover is offering WWF members the chance to win 10 Ecover starter kits worth £25. We also have 25 of their Healthy Homes booklets to give away as runners-up prizes.

Ecover produces a range of domestic cleaning products from laundry detergents to household cleaners, but they all have one thing in common: they are based on natural plant and mineral ingredients that are kind on the environment and completely biodegradable.

The Ecover starter kit contains a selection of Ecover products including washing up liquid, hand soap and toilet cleaner as well as a trug made from recycled plastic bottle tops.

The Healthy Homes booklet is packed with Ecover’s handy hints and advice on greener living around the home.

For your chance to win we want to hear your suggestions for living a greener way of life. This can be anything from how you re-use your rubbish to what you do to save water.

Send your green tips to Ecover Competition, WWF-UK, Panda House, Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR or email ecovercomp@wwf.org.uk and we’ll select some of the most innovative.

Entries must reach us by 20 March 2008

The products you buy everyday, from fridges to fruit juice, could be made by companies that exploit the

environment, compromise animal welfare and ignore human rights. That’s where Ethical Consumer magazine can help – over 100 brands are ranked and compared every issue on 23 concerns such as pollution, animal testing and climate change.

Until the end of April, WWF members can subscribe

to Ethical Consumer for only £16 a year – saving more than 20%. Subscribers receive six bi-monthly issues, an

introductory booklet and an index of all the reports

published to date.

To subscribe, send a cheque for £16 with your address to: ECRA Publishing, WWF Offer, Freepost NWW 978A, Manchester M15 9EP (no stamp required); or phone 0161 226 2929 with your credit/debit card details (12 noon to 6pm, weekdays).

The real cost of your shopping

Win an Ecover starter kit

coMpetitions And oFFers

Win a year’s supply

of wine

20% off Ethical Consumer

magazine

To order this set and receive your FREE aloe vera eye gel visit wwf.org.uk/shop or call 0870 750 7023 and quote 15001.

Offer ends 30 May 2008

Face the futureFree aloe vera eye gel worth £5.95 when you buy a rejuvenating face set

Why not treat your skin to a little bit of organic luxury with a Faith in Nature rejuvenating face set? Enriched with antioxidants, vitamins C & E and aloe vera, this set will leave you feeling revitalised and refreshed.

The products are all 100% organic and, what’s more, the Faith in Nature range does not contain palm oil so you can be sure your purchase isn’t damaging the orang-utan’s habitat (see pages 10–15).

The rejuvenating face set costs £17.85 plus postage and packaging. It includes: cleansing lotion (150gm), toning lotion (150gm) and replenishing cream (50gm).

Free eye gel

when you buy face set

A great Mothers’ Day gift

For terms and conditions of all our competitions go to wwf.org.uk/compterms or call 01483 426333

30 WWF ACTION Feb–May 2008 wwf.org.uk 31

Prize crossword 8: February 2008

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Please return, by 10 April 2008, to: WWF Action crossword, Panda House, Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR

Clues Across1 A rechargeable one is preferable to

the single-use disposable variety (7)

5 Alaska is America’s largest (5)

9 The critically endangered kouprey is this Asian country’s national animal (8)

10 See 8 down

11 & 23 down A major offshore supplier of Britain’s oil and gas (5,3)

12 A process that causes coastlines to recede (7)

14 Which country had the world’s fastest rate of deforestation between 2000 and 2005? (9)

18 An emissions-free form of travel for those willing to do some legwork (7)

20 The number of sea turtle species that currently exist (5)

21 A big cat and ruler of Narnia (4)

22 Vaccination programmes can help prevent them (8)

24 A major UK supermarket began transporting wine to Manchester on this greener freight route (5)

25 Water butts and compost bins can be put to good use in them (7)

Clues Down 2 This forest is the largest tropical

forest in the world (6)

3 These antelopes are victims of the illegal shahtoosh trade (7)

4 Like its larger cousin, the racoon-like ____panda is also threatened by habitat loss (3)

6 Under-inflated ones can increase fuel consumption (5)

7 Minor earthquake (6)

8 & 10 across Great UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Coral Sea (7,4)

13 Extreme weather event which twice hit Birmingham in 2005 (7)

15 A country that resumed commercial whaling in October 2006 (7)

16 Weather anomaly linked with a cooling of the central and eastern Pacific (2,4)

17 _ Islands. Samos, Kos and Santorini are all part of this group (6)

19 Home to Lake Nakuru and its famous flamingos (5)

23 See 11 across

After solving the crossword, take each letter from the shaded squares (going from left to right and top to bottom) to spell out the prize word.

Action reActions

On reading the October 2007 issue of WWF Action, I was shocked by the level of ignorance in the respondents to your article “Is climate change a fallacy?” There is no doubt in the minds of informed scientists that our globe is warming and that the culprit is carbon dioxide.

No previous global warming since the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum – around 55 million years ago – was simultaneous in both hemispheres. Satellites tell us it is not the sun. The only climate forces we are left with that we can see and measure and that would have this simultaneous effect are the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane.

In the sixties there was talk of a coming ice age because the amount of heat coming to the Earth from the sun was gradually declining as a consequence of the slowly changing position of the Earth in its orbit around the sun. That decline continues. Its effects have been dramatically offset since 1970 by the heating caused by carbon dioxide.

Make no mistake, what we are talking about in assessing today’s climate are hard observations, not assumptions. It is not a question of belief, but of verifiable, testable numerical models.

Colin Summerhayes Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)

Leila says: Thank you for helping to explain some of these climate change anomalies. Climate change is a key priority for WWF and it’s a major part of our One Planet Future campaign (wwf.org.uk/oneplanet), which is why we are working with government, industry and our supporters to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through initiatives such as our Get on Board event highlighted on page 8.

We are well aware of the compelling and irrefutable body of scientific evidence which links man-made greenhouse gas emissions with increasing global temperatures, a

key reason why we are channelling so much effort into cutting the UK’s carbon emissions. The UK

government needs to stipulate at least an 80% cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and include aviation and shipping in the Climate Change Bill

if we are to ensure the UK plays its fair share in keeping below the critical 2ºC ceiling.

I am astonished to see that you have awarded the “Star Letter” for October to someone who apparently cannot make even the most basic connections between the things that cause the increases in CO2 and those things she apparently believes she cares most about, “such as pollution, use of natural resources and …impact on the habitats of wildlife”. And what evidence did she produce to support her claim that climate change is nothing to do with the activities of humankind? You might as well just give the award to Jeremy Clarkson and have done with it.

Bernie Harris

Leila says: Our discussions on climate change have certainly generated a lot of debate amongst our members. Whilst WWF is very clear on the link between carbon dioxide emissions and climate change, unfortunately some of our supporters are yet to be convinced. Since WWF Action is your member magazine, we feel it is important that we share the wide range of views held by our supporters on this subject and hope by encouraging such discussions we can increase people’s understanding of this complex issue.

LettersSTAR LETTER

In the October issue of WWF Action Sonja Klug said she was looking for eco tips for her renovation project. I was in Japan a few years ago and the family I stayed with had a ‘toilet lid sink’. It was such a simple and sensible idea but I struggled to find one in the UK. However, you can buy them on this site: www.gaiam.com

Sonja should be congratulated for reducing her carbon footprint so dramatically; she is setting a great example. I’d like to wish her good luck with the project – I enjoy the column and will look forward to reading about her progress.

Fiona Crosbie

Leila says: Thanks, Fiona, for sending us details of this ingenious device – we were certainly interested to hear about it! The ‘toilet lid sink’ has a water dispenser on the lid of the toilet which channels through clean water to wash your hands before it is re-routed back down the toilet to refill the bowl.

We’re always interested to hear your views, so why not send us a letter? Write to WWF Action, Panda House, Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR or e-mail action@wwf.org.uk

The winner of WWF Action prize crossword 8 will win this fabulous book on orang-utans produced by New Holland Publishers

take ActionMake a stand for the environment now. Here are some of the many ways you can help us over the coming months…

2Get rafflingHave a flutter on our Tree Kangaroo Spring Raffle, where you can win £5,000, £1,000 or £500.

Why not get your friends on board too! Tickets are available from 10 March, by logging on to wwf.org.uk/kangarooraffle or calling 0870 566 8899.

Push for the pandaWild panda numbers are only a fraction of what they need to be, so help us raise £160,000 for our Panda Appeal. Visit wwf.org.uk/pandasappeal to donate.

A lasting giftA gift in your will is a wonderful way to enable your beliefs and ideals to live on, helping and inspiring future generations to enjoy and protect the planet. If you want your support to continue when you’re gone, call our legacies team on 01483 426 333, or log on to wwf.org.uk/leavealegacy

Make your voice heardSign up as a WWF campaigner. It only takes a few minutes to give your support to one of our campaigns and the bigger the voice behind an issue, the more we can influence our government to act. wwf.org.uk/onlinecampaigning

Tell us how we can do better…Don’t forget to let us know what you think of WWF Action by completing our online survey at wwf.org.uk/membersurvey

Fill it out before 14 March, and you could win one of three digital wind-up radios.

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Our star letter winner, Colin Summerhayes, receives a copy of the book, White Paradise: Journeys to the North Pole

crossWord

Solution to WWF Action crossword 7 Prize word: Solar

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