What’s involved?
*Donate!*
There are many organisations that accept donations towards their work to curb deforestation in Oz. Here are a few, but there are more out there. But careful to verify what the organisation will be doing with your money before making a contribution.
*A donation to the OxFam general fund could go to fund their work on deforestation. Donate at http://www.oxfam.org.au/donate/index.php3.
*The WWF/World Bank Forest Alliance is working to reduce the deforestation rates by 10% by 2010. Donate at
http://www.wwf.org.au/How_you_can_help/Fund_our_work/index.php.
*Change it Up!*
*To reduce the need for more logging, start using recycled paper. The easiest way to save a tree is to switch to entirely recycled computer paper.
*Tell your friends about the importance of using recycled products and the effects that it can have on saving a forest.
*Write your MP and tell him or her that action is needed now to save the forests not in a few years.
*Support the campaigns of groups like Greenpeace that are fighting to save the forest.
*Donate to Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth as these groups are working to fight deforestation around the world.
*When buying wood, find out where it came from and if the company selling it is economically friendly.
*Find out which stores in your area sell wood from poor logging sites and petition them to replace these with more environmentally friendly types of timber.
*Find out where your school or uni gets their wood products and ask them to use only environmentally friendly wood products.
*Work with organisations to promote ecotourism that would give an incentive for saving the forests (this is happening in Tasmania where tourism is a vital part of the economy).
*Before buying wood, check the Forest Stewartship Council page to see if your wood is environmentally friendly at http://www.fsc-info.org/english/dbcoce.asp.
*Plant a tree. To calculate how many trees you need to plant to counteract your travel habits see http://www.coolkidsforacoolclimate.com/Take%20Action/TakeActionIndex.htm.
*Stop junk mail that wastes paper by stopping catalogues that you don’t need to refusing unsolicited mail.
*Sign up for your bank’s online statements to avoid the paper used in sending monthly statements.
I want to do this!
