Billion Tree Campaign to Grow into Seven Billion Tree Campaign

Billion Tree Campaign to Grow into Seven Billion Tree Campaign
Grassroots Initiative Hits Two Billion Mark-Target Raised to Over One Tree per Person by Crucial 2009 Climate Convention Meeting

NAIROBI/NEW YORK, 13 May 2008 - A unique worldwide tree planting initiative, aimed at empowering citizens to corporations and people up to presidents to embrace the climate change challenge, has now set its sights on planting 7 billion trees.

It follows the news, also announced today, that the Billion Tree Campaign has in just 18 months catalysed the planting of 2 billion trees, double its original target.

The campaign spearheaded by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Agroforestry Centre (lCRAF), was unveiled in 2006 as one response to the threat but also to the opportunities of global warming, as well as to the wider sustainability challenges -- from water supplies to biodiversity loss.

To date the initiative, which is under the patronage of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Kenyan Green BeIt Movement founder Professor Wangari Maathai and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, has broken every target set and has catalysed tree planting in close to 155 countries.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, said today: "When the Billion Tree Campaign was launched at the UN Climate Change Convention meeting in Nairobi in November 2006, no one could have imagined it could have flowered so fast and so far. But it bas given expression to the frustrations but also the hopes of millions of people around the world".

“Having exceeded every target that. has been set for the campaign, we are now calling on individuals, communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and Governments to evolve this initiative onto a new and even higher level by the crucial Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in late 2009”, he said.

"In 2006 we wondered if a billion-tree target was too ambitious: it was not. The goal of 2 billion trees has also proven to be an underestimate. The goal of planting 7 billion trees – equivalent to just over a tree per person alive on the planet – must therefore also be do – able given the campaign’s extraordinary track record and the self-evident worldwide support”, he added.

The Billion Tree Campaign bas become a practical expression of private and public concern over global warming.

Heads of State including the Presidents of Indonesia, Maldives, Mexico, Turkey and Turkmenistan as well as businesses; cities; faith, youth and community groups have enthusiastically take apart. Individuals have accounted for over half of all participants.

• In a single day in Uttar Pradesh, India, 10.5 million trees were planted.
• 35 million young people in Turkey have been mobilized to plant trees.
• 500.000 schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom have become engaged.

It has also attracted the support of multilateral organizations including the Convention on Biological Diversity, whose new Green Wave initiative was launched in advance of its important conference being held in Bonn, Germany later this month, supports the Billion, now Seven Billion, Tree Campaign.

Tree planting remains one of the most cost-effective ways to address climate change. Trees and forests play a vital role in regulating the climate since they absorb carbon dioxide – containing an estimated 50% more carbon than the atmosphere. Deforestation, in turn accounts for over 20% of the carbon dioxide humans generate, rivaling the emissions from other sources.

Trees also play a crucial role in providing a range of products and services to rural and urban population, including food, timber, fiber, medicines and energy as well as soil fertility, water and biodiversity conservation.

"The Billion Tree Campaign has not only helped to mobilize millions of people to respond to the challenges of climate change, it has also opened the door, especially for the rural poor, to benefit from the valuable products and services the trees provide", said Dennis Garrity, Director-General of the Nairobi-based World Agroforestry Centre.

"Smallholder farmers could also benefit from the rapidly growing global carbon market by planting and nurturing trees", he said.

The two billionth tree was put into the ground as part of an agroforestry project carried out by the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). It now planted 60 million trees in 35 countries to improve food security. This news comes as the United Nations calls for resolute action to end the global food crisis which affects an estimated 73 million people in 80 countries around the world.

In announcing the agency’s contribution to the Billion Tree Campaign. WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said: "WFP is concerned about rising costs of food and fuel which inevitably hit the "bottom billion' hardest. More people will require WFP assistance at a time when WFP’s current programmes are reaching fewer due to the critical funding gap created by rising costs.”

In terms of geographic distribution, Africa is the leading region with over half all tree plantings. Regional and national governments organized the most massive plantings, with Ethiopia leading the count at 700 million, followed by Turkey (400 million), Mexico (250 million), and Kenya (100 million).

The campaign has also generated significant appeal in post-conflict and post-disaster environments. In acting upon the words of the campaign's patron Wangari Maathai "when we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope", communities in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, Liberia and Somalia contributed to the global effort with over 2 million trees.

Furthermore, mangrove plantings were organized by Planete Urgence in Banda Aceh and other Indonesian provinces recovering from the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, while the “Replant New Orleans” initiative in the United States sponsored a planting of fruit-bearing trees to breathe new life into a community struggling in the aftermath of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina.

The private sector pitched in as well, accounting for almost 6% of all trees planted. Multinational corporations including Bayer, Toyota, Yves Rocher, Accor Group of Hotels and Tesco Lotus supported the campaign, as did hundreds of medium and small-sized enterprises the world over.

The Billion Tree Campaign has further highlighted the cultural and spiritual dimension of trees with groups as diverse as the International Olympic Committee, the World Scouting Movement, SOS Sahel Initiative or yet “Geiko and Maiko for Forests" – Japanese geishas from the hometown of the Kyoto Protocol - actively participating in the initiative.

"The Billion Tree Campaign is lJNEP’s call to the nearly 7 billion people sharing our planet today to take simple, positive steps to protect our climate. It is a defining issue of our era that can only be tackled through individual and collective action. I am convinced that the new target will be met - one tree at a time”, concluded Executive Director Steiner.

Notes to Editors:

Below arc several notable websites of partners and other related links:

The Billion Tree Campaign with pledges, plantings and news:
www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign or http://www.worldagroforestry.org/billiontreecampaign

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): http://www.unfccc.int

The Copenhagen 2009 Climate Change Conference: http://www.cop15.dk/en

The Convention on BioIogical Diversity (CBD): http://www.cbd.int: the CBD's Green Wave: http://greenwave.cbd.int: and the CBD's COP 9: http://www.cbd.int/cop9/

The World Agroforestry Centre (lCRAF): http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org

The World Food Programme (WFP): http://www.wfp.org

The Nature Conservancy: http://www.nature.org

UNEP’s climate change pages: http://www.unep.org/themes/climatechange/

Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson. in Nairobi, on Tel: +254-20-762-3084. Mobile: +254-733-632755 or when traveling: +41-79-596-5737, or e-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org

Anne-France White, Associate Information Officer, on Tel: +254-20-762-3088. Mobile: +254-728-600-494, or e-mail: anne-france.white@unep.org

Michael Hailu, Director of Communications, World Agroforestry Centre, Tel: +254-20-721-4248, Mobile +25-1-722-208-879 or email: m.hailu@cgiar.org

Article Source: www.dephut.go.id

Komodo National Park

LOCATION :

Komodo National Park lies in the Wallacea Region of Indonesia, identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global conservation priority area. The Park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores at the border of the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) and Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTP) provinces. It includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2.

HISTORY :

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.

The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Suku Bajau or Bugis ethnic groups. The Suku Bajau were originally nomadic and moved from location to location in the region of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, to make their livelihoods. Descendents of the original people of Komodo, the Ata Modo, still live in Komodo, but there are no pure blood people left and their culture and language is slowly being integrated with the recent migrants.

Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island's remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

DEMOGRAPHICS :

There are presently almost 4,000 inhabitants living within the park spread out over four settlements (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, and Papagaran). All villages existed prior to 1980 before the area was declared a national park. In 1928 there were only 30 people living in Komodo Village, and approximately 250 people on Rinca Island in 1930. The population increased rapidly, and by 1999, there were 281 families numbering 1,169 people on Komodo, meaning that the local population had increased exponentially. Komodo Village has had the highest population increase of the villages within the Park, mostly due to migration by people from Sape, Manggarai, Madura, and South Sulawesi. The number of buildings in Kampung Komodo has increased rapidly from 30 houses in 1958, to 194 houses in 1994, and 270 houses in 2000. Papagaran village is similar in size, with 258 families totaling 1,078 people. As of 1999, Rinca's population was 835, and Kerora's population was 185 people. The total population currently living in the Park is 3,267 people, while 16,816 people live in the area immediately surrounding the Park.

EDUCATION :

The average level of education in the villages of Komodo National Park is grade four of elementary school. There is an elementary school located in each of the villages, but new students are not recruited each year. On average, each village has four classes and four teachers. Most of the children from the small islands in the Kecamatan Komodo (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, Papagaran, Mesa) do not finish elementary school. Less than 10% of those which do graduate from elementary school will continue to high school since the major economic opportunity (fishing) does not require further education. Children must be sent to Labuan Bajo to attend high school, but this is rarely done in fishermen's families.

HEALTH :

Most of the villages located in and around the Park have few fresh water facilities available, if any, particularly during the dry season. Water quality declines during this time period and many people become ill. Malaria and diarrhea are rampant in the area. On Mesa island, with a population of around 1,500 people, there is no fresh water available. Fresh water is brought by boat in jerrycans from Labuan Bajo. Each family needs an average of Rp 100,000.- per month to buy fresh water (2000). Almost every village has a local medical facility with staff, and at least a paramedic. The quality of medical care facilities is low.

SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ANTHROPOLOGIC CONDITIONS :

Traditional Customs: Traditional communities in Komodo, Flores and Sumbawa have been subjected to outside influences and the influence of traditional customs is dwindling. Television, radio, and increased mobility have all played a part in accelerating the rate of change. There has been a steady influx of migrants into the area. At the moment nearly all villages consist of more than one ethnic group.

Religion: The majority of fishermen living in the villages in the vicinity of the Park are Muslims. Hajis have a strong influence in the dynamics of community development. Fishermen hailing from South Sulawesi (Bajau, Bugis) and Bima are mostly Moslems.

The community from Manggarai are mostly Christians. Anthropology and Language: There are several cultural sites within the Park, particularly on Komodo Island. These sites are not well documented, however, and there are many questions concerning the history of human inhabitance on the island. Outside the Park, in Warloka village on Flores, there is a Chinese trading post remnant of some interest. Archeological finds from this site have been looted in the recent past. Most communities in and around the Park can speak Bahasa Indonesia. Bajo language is the language used for daily communication in most communities.

TERRESTRIAL PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT :

Topography: The topography is varied, with slopes from 0 - 80%. There is little flat ground, and that is generally located near the beach. The altitude varies from sea level to 735 m above sea level. The highest peak is Gunung Satalibo on Komodo Island.

Geology: The islands in Komodo National Park are volcanic in origin. The area is at the juncture of two continental plates: Sahul and Sunda. The friction of these two plates has led to large volcanic eruptions and caused the up-thrusting of coral reefs. Although there are no active volcanoes in the park, tremors from Gili Banta (last eruption 1957) and Gunung Sangeang Api (last eruption 1996) are common. West Komodo probably formed during the Jurasic era approximately 130 million years ago. East Komodo, Rinca, and Padar probably formed approximately 49 million years ago during the Eocene era.

Climate: Komodo National Park has little or no rainfall for approximately 8 months of the year, and is strongly impacted by monsoonal rains. High humidity levels year round are only found in the quasi-cloud forests on mountain tops and ridges. Temperatures generally range from 170C to 340C, with an average humidity level of 36%. From November through March the wind is from the west and causes large waves that hit the entire length of Komodo island's west beach. From April through October the wind is dry and large waves hit the south beaches of Rinca and Komodo islands.

TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS :

The terrestrial ecosystems are strongly affected by the climate: a lengthy dry season with high temperatures and low rainfall, and seasonal monsoon rains. The Park is situated in a transition zone between Australian and Asian flora and fauna. Terrestrial ecosystems include open grass-woodland savanna, tropical deciduous (monsoon) forest, and quasi cloud forest.

Due to the dry climate, terrestrial plant species richness is relatively low. The majority of terrestrial species are xerophytic and have specific adaptations to help them obtain and retain water. Past fires have selected for species that are fire-adapted, such as some grass species and shrubs. Terrestrial plants found in Komodo National Park include grasses, shrubs, orchids, and trees. Important food tree species for the local fauna include Jatropha curkas, Zizyphus sp., Opuntia sp., Tamarindus indicus, Borassus flabellifer, Sterculia foetida, Ficus sp., Cicus sp., 'Kedongdong hutan' (Saruga floribunda), and 'Kesambi' (Schleichera oleosa).

TERRESTRIAL FAUNA :
The terrestrial fauna is of rather poor diversity in comparison to the marine fauna. The number of terrestrial animal species found in the Park is not high, but the area is important from a conservation perspective as some species are endemic.. Many of the mammals are Asiatic in origin (e.g., deer, pig, macaques, civet). Several of the reptiles and birds are Australian in origin. These include the orange-footed scrubfowl, the lesser sulpher-crested cockatoo and the nosy friarbird.

Reptiles: The most famous of Komodo National Park's reptiles is the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). It is among the world's largest reptiles and can reach 3 meters or more in length and weigh over 70kg. Click: the komodo dragon.

Other than the Komodo Dragon twelve terrestrial snake species are found on the island. including the cobra (Naja naja sputatrix), Russel's pit viper (Vipera russeli), and the green tree vipers (Trimeresurus albolabris). Lizards include 9 skink species (Scinidae), geckos (Gekkonidae), limbless lizards (Dibamidae), and, of course, the monitor lizards (Varanidae). Frogs include the Asian Bullfrog (Kaloula baleata), Oreophyne jeffersoniana and Oreophyne darewskyi. They are typically found at higher, moister altitudes.

Mammals: Mammals include the Timor deer (Cervus timorensis), the main prey of the Komodo dragon, horses (Equus sp.), water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), wild boar (Sus scrofa vittatus), long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus lehmanni), the endemic Rinca rat (Rattus rintjanus), and fruit bats. One can also find goats, dogs and domestic cats.

Birds: One of the main bird species is the orange-footed scrub fowl (Megapodius reinwardti), a ground dwelling bird. In areas of savanna, 27 species were observed. Geopelia striata and Streptopelia chinensis were the most common species. In mixed deciduous habitat, 28 bird species were observed, and Philemon buceroides, Ducula aenea, and Zosterops chloris were the most common.

MARINE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT :

The marine area constitutes 67% of the Park. The open waters in the Park are between 100 and 200 m deep. The straits between Rinca and Flores and between Padar and Rinca, are relatively shallow (30 to 70 m deep), with strong tidal currents. The combination of strong currents, coral reefs and islets make navigation around the islands in Komodo National Park difficult and dangerous. Sheltered deep anchorage is available at the bay of Loh Liang on Komodo's east coast, the South East coast of Padar, and the bays of Loh Kima and Loh Dasami on Rinca.

In the North of the Park water temperature ranges between 25 - 29°C. In the middle, the temperature ranges between 24 and 28°C. The temperatures are lowest in the South, ranging from 22 - 28°C. Water salinity is about 34 ppt and the water is quite clear, although the waters closer to the islands are relatively more turbid.

MARINE ECOSYSTEMS :

Indonesia is the only equatorial region in the world where there is an exchange of marine flora and fauna between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Passages in Nusa Tenggara (formerly the Lesser Sunda Islands) between the Sunda and Sahul shelves allow movement between the Pacific and Indian oceans. The three main ecosystems in Komodo National Park are seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangrove forests. The Park is probably a regular cetacean migration route.

MARINE FLORA :

The three major coastal marine plants are algae, seagrasses and mangrove trees. Algae are primitive plants, which do not have true roots, leaves or stems. An important reef-building algae is the red coralline algae, which actually secretes a hard limestone skeleton that can encrust and cement dead coral together. Seagrasses are modern plants that produce flowers, fruits and seeds for reproduction. As their name suggests, they generally look like large blades of grass growing underwater in sand near the shore. Thallasia sp. and Zastera spp. are the common species found in the Park. Mangroves trees can live in salty soil or water, and are found throughout the Park. An assessment of mangrove resources identified at least 19 species of true mangroves and several more species of mangrove associates within the Park's borders.

MARINE FAUNA :

Komodo National Park includes one of the world's richest marine environments. It consists of forams, cnidaria (includes over 260 species of reef building coral), sponges (70 species), ascidians, marine worms, mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, cartilaginous and bony fishes (over 1,000 species), marine reptiles, and marine mammals (dolphins, whales, and dugongs). Some notable species with high commercial value include sea cucumbers (Holothuria), Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), and groupers.

Article Source: www.floresexotictours.com

Internet Sources:
. Komodo National Park : www.komodonationalpark.org
. Komodo foundation : www.komodofoundation.org
. Sandiegozoo : www.sandiegozoo.org
. Wikipedia : www.wikipedia.org
. Wildlife organisation : www.amnh.org
. Website bersama : www.floreskomodo.com
. Komodo island :www.komodoisland-tours.com

Orangutan tour and Mahakam river safari east kalimantan

Borneo Orangutan and mahakam adventure tours

Please Contact Us for Special Price

DAY 1 : PANGKALAN BUN - KUMAI - PARK (L D)
Upon arrival at Pangkalan Bun Airport you will be picked up by our local staff and take you to Kumai to board on the boat. The boat is a traditional Klotok wooden river boat about 6m by 2m with a roof which forms the upper deck where you can view the rain forest as it glides by. The guide's team includes the boatman, a cook and expert guide. In the peaceful afternoon we will slowly explore the quite river by the klotok while observe
the monkeys along the riverside. Dinner and overnight on the boat. simple mattress, pillow, fine meals, bottled "mineral" water, mosquito net, kitchen, simple toilet available on boat besides the familiar - helpful guides and boatmen (L, D).

DAY 2 : PARK - PONDOK TANGGUY - CAMP LEAKEY - BOAT (B L D)
After breakfast board the klotok to travel up river for about 2 hours boating and then up a side creek to Camp Leakey where the older orangutans are reintroduced into the rain forest. En route stop at Pondok Tanguy, the rehabilitation center for the new ex-captive orangutans, see feeding time at 09.00am . Then proceed to Camp Leakey . After lunch on the boat you will have opportunity to take small trek before see feeding time at 14.00
pm for old rehabilitation orangutan given additional foods. Overnight on the boat (B,L,D).

DAY 3 : BOAT - KUMAI - PANGKALAN BUN AIRPORT - BANJARMASIN.(B L )
Free morning program until time transfer to Kumai then to Pangkalan Bun airport for Banjarmasin. Upon your arrival at Syamsuddinnoor airport, meeting service with your guide/assistance who will escort you to Banjarmasin city where you will stay.

DAY 4 : BANJARMASIN (HOTEL) - FLOTING MARKET - BALIKPAPAN . (B L D)
Early morning depart from the hotel to see peoples activities at the floating market. Back to Hotel,Breakfast then transfer to Airport fly to Balikpapan . Upon arrival at Balikpapan airport, meeting service and transfer to Loa Janan, to board houseboat for exciting adventure on Mahakam river. Meals provided and overnight on houseboat.

Day 5: MUARA MUNTAI - TANJUNG ISUY - MANCONG (B L D)
Jempang Lake to Tanjung Isuy by motor canoe. Arrival at Tanjung Isuy welcomed with a traditional ceremony by the Dayaq Benuaq. Afterwards by motor canoe to Mancong. During the cruise you could see wildlife at Ohong creek like monkey's and birds. Afternoon return to Tanjung Isuy for Overnight at Longhouse.

Day 6: TANJUNG ISUY - TENGGARONG - SAMARINDA (B L)
Early in the morning downstream by houseboat to Tenggarong. Arrive at Tenggarong, visiting the former palace of Sultan Kutai Kertanegara . Where you will see the Sultan's impressive collection of heirlooms, ceramics, Dayak's art and culture items. Afterwards return to houseboat for downstream to Samarinda, then drive to Balikpapan for your hotel

Day 7: SAMARINDA - BALIKPAPAN (B)
Breakfast, free at leisure, and enjoy the hotel atmosphere, soaking up the pool until departure transfer to Balikpapan airport for your next destination.

Note : We are able to Organize Your flight ticket from/to Pangkalan bun, Recommeded hotel in Bali, Jakarta and Indonesia most city, Transfer in and out to and from Airport.

Source: http://www.orangutantour.com/orangutan_mahakamriver.html

Building a Greener Company

In 2005, MCI, the global event giant headquartered in Geneva, organized Europe's 500 Entrepreneurs for Growth Summit in Barcelona. The managing director of MCI's Barcelona, Spain, office, Guy Bigwood, was handed the task of finding a speaker dynamic enough for this meeting of Europe's top entrepreneurs.

Bigwood came up with former vice president Al Gore, who, in lieu of politics, was focused on the issue of global warming and was about to star in 2006's most unlikely box office smash, An Inconvenient Truth. Gore's speech at the November 2005 meeting was a huge success. “Al Gore in person is no comparison to the film,” says Bigwood. As convincing and well-researched as Gore was in the film, in person “he was very, very compelling,” says Bigwood.

So compelling, in fact, that Bigwood walked away convinced that MCI needed to follow Gore's lead and develop its own sustainability program. Fortunately, because his entire executive committee also heard Gore speak, it didn't take much convincing — he got the job.
Where Do You Start?

Bigwood's first step was gathering information. He headed to the IMEX Show in Frankfurt, Germany, where he attended a seminar by green meetings expert Amy Spatrisano, CMP, principal of Meeting Strategies Worldwide, Portland, Ore., a consulting and training company that works with organizations to produce sustainable, green conferences and corporate social responsibility programs. When they spoke afterward, she says, “It was clear he was excited about the possibilities, but everyone gets excited at first. Does that excitement translate into action? With Guy it really did.”

After getting the approval of the four-member MCI Executive Committee and the company's international board, Bigwood had to gain the buy-in of MCI's 500 employees. Spatrisano and Bigwood brought in a third player: consultant Mike Wallace, Wallace Partners LLC, San Francisco, who provides organizations with guidance on environmental governance and sustainable services.

Wallace interviewed key MCI executives, including potential critics who showed little understanding of or interest in corporate social responsibility and green issues. “We talked about what is going on with CSR on a global level, and what their peers — whether it's Wal-Mart or Nike — are doing,” says Wallace. “I wanted them to understand that they aren't alone.”

At the same time, Bigwood identified a core group of champions: MCI employees who are passionate about the environment and social issues. Spatrisano led intensive training sessions with this group about green meetings and how to implement them, looking at issues such as negotiating with suppliers, identifying green hotels, examining recycling policies, and conducting site inspections and negotiating contracts. She also customized a training manual for these employees, which of course was printed on recycled paper and bound in environmentally sound binders. The initial training was completed in about two months, and those MCI green champions are providing follow-up training for the entire company.
Get With the Program

At the heart of MCI's new initiative is a green office program, which will have as its model the Barcelona office.

In Barcelona, the process started with selection of office space, which included large open spaces with plenty of natural light, eliminating much of the need for artificial light during daytime hours. MCI redesigned the office using sustainability practices and principles. For example, they installed energy-efficient windows, and construction waste was sent to a recycling center. Low-consumption fluorescent lighting was installed in the hallways, 90 percent of desktop computers were replaced with laptops, and timing switches were installed on printers, all reducing energy consumption. MCI will try to replicate these practices in its other offices.

Another of Bigwood's goals is to reduce his company's environmental footprint, which is proving to be a challenge for the global company, which has 17 offices from Latin America to Shanghai. “Defining how we measure that … is complicated and confusing,” he says. “There are lots of different entities — the United Nations, the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) — that have their own reporting systems.”

MCI is developing its own environmental footprint calculator to document, benchmark, and analyze the impact in the form of greenhouse gas emissions and other byproducts of the company's business in each of its offices. MCI is collecting and reviewing that information from 2006 and from that analysis will devise reduction goals.

Visit our new Green Meetings section!

The company has also developed a Sustainable Event Methodology, which it will use to help clients measure and reduce the environmental impacts of their programs. This will include providing them with carbon offset options to help mitigate the CO2 emissions generated by their travel and events. (See story on carbon offsets, page 32.)

A longer term goal is to create a new “industry practice” area for the renewable energy sector, based on what MCI has done developing event and communications services and strategies for clients in certain business sectors, such as information technology.

Bigwood, who is leading the initiative, said the renewable energy sector is “obviously booming” and will be looking for help with training, incentives, events, and communications service. “It's a tremendous business opportunity,” he says.
Earth Day Kickoff

The company's big kickoff was a press conference this past Earth Day, with festivities at all of the MCI offices. In the Brussels office, 40 employees attended a launch party where they enjoyed Fair Trade snacks and drinks and screened (of course) An Inconvenient Truth. At the Geneva headquarters, they created a bamboo theme for an indoor picnic lunch, while in Paris, the group bicycled or took public transportation to a picnic held near the base of the Eiffel Tower.

And to think it all started with an unexpected box office hit. “Really, truly, it took Al Gore's movie, and Hollywood getting involved, for this subject to get ‘cool,’” says Spatrisano. “Now, the average person is waking up to it, and businesses are moving to it, and CEOs are dealing with it. And I think the meetings industry has finally decided we should be doing something, too.”
Green Goals

Each of MCI's offices set three concrete actions they will take to become greener. Among them:

* Change most light bulbs to energy-efficient ones;
* reduce flushing water in the toilets;
* install recycling bins for paper, plastics, aluminum, and glass;
* offset business travel;
* bike to work;
* encourage carpooling;
* don't leave computers on standby;
* bring re-usable chopsticks or other utensils for meals;
* use both sides of paper;
* choose hybrid or electric “green cabs”; and
* meet regularly to share ideas.

Three Prongs

MCI's new CSR strategy has three parts:

1. a green office program for its 17 worldwide offices,
2. a “CSR task force” designed to support clients with their own CSR efforts, and
3. the development of a new consulting services for the renewable energy industry.

http://meetingsnet.com/green/case_studies/meetings_mci_building_greener

Three baby orangutans find sanctuary at Nyaru Menteng

Nyaru Menteng - Borneo Orangutan Survival’s rescue and rehabilitation centre in Indonesian Borneo - has recently welcomed the arrival of three young orangutans from West Kalimantan. All three (aged between 2 - 3 years) were confiscated from private households - victims of palm oil development and logging. Nyaru Menteng, founded by Lone Droscher-Nielsen, is home to 670 orangutans, ranging in age from a few months to about 8 years, where they are cared for and rehabilitated to prepare them for their ultimate release into the wild.

In February this year, the Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of the Forestry Department in Indonesia, confiscated Frengky - one of the orangutans - from the area of Singkawang, on the north coast of West Kalimantan.

Within two months, another young orangutan, Thomas, was rescued from Sintang, also in the northern part of West Kalimantan province. They were temporarily homed in transit cages in Pontianak, waiting for an opportunity to be transferred to a rehabilitation centre.

It wasn’t long before a third orangutan, Caleb, was confiscated - this time in Ketapang, a small town in the southern part of the province, abut seven hours’ journey by boat from Pontianak city. He was placed in the Yayasan Palung’s transit centre in Ketapang to await transfer to a rehabilitation centre.

No such facilities exist in West Kalimantan, and all the other orangutan rehabilitation centers in Central and East Kalimantan were all full at the time. In May, however, the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP), which assists the BKSDA in caring for captive orangutans in West Kalimantan, heard that Nyaru Menteng would be able to accommodate these youngsters at the end of the month.

Nyaru Menteng is located in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan province. There is no road link between this area and West Kalimantan - nor is there a direct air link - so the orangutans would have to be flown via Jakarta. In the space of a day, COP had made arrangements with Sriwijaya Air and cargo to transport the orangutans to Palangka Raya, and also to transfer Caleb from Ketapang. He joined Frengky and Thomas in BKSDA’s transit cages in Pontianak that night, to await the journey to Palangka Raya the following morning.

At 7.00 am the three orangutans were at the airport, ready for loading. The plane left at 8.15 am and arrived in Jakarta at about 10.00 am. After a 30 minute wait for the next plane, the orangutans arrived in Palangka Raya at about 12 noon.

All of three orangutans had travelled well and were fine. Thomas looked a little nervous, but when all three were finally put together in a big cage, they were so happy. Within minutes they were playing, hanging, biting each other - and eating!

Thanks to Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation in Nyaru Menteng, BOS-UK and Orangutan Appeal UK for making this transfer possible

Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) is the largest primate rescue project in the world, with nearly 1000 orangutans in its care. It is the only organisation actively rescuing both wild and captive orangutans which have been displaced by the relentless devastation of their rainforest habitat for logging and the production of palm oil. The ultimate goal of BOSF is the release of healthy and rehabilitated orangutans back into protected forest. Borneo Orangutan Survival International is a registered international charity committed to the protection of the orangutan and its rainforest habitat, and relies entirely on donations to achieve this.

Report by Yenny Fildayani - COP/Centre for Orangutan Protection - June 2008
www.savetheorangutan.org.uk