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The brink of extinction
Paul Ferris - SumOfUs
Sumatran orangutans -- one of humanity's closest relatives -- are being driven to the brink of extinction by massive palm oil plantations, wiping out their habitat to supply giant food corporations.
We have a plan to help save the orangutan, but we don't have much time.
Here's the deal: People don't want to buy potato chips or lipstick that kill orangutans. And if even a small percentage of consumers start avoiding products with destructive palm oil, it will affect their profits and share prices.
The challenge is to make sure people actually know about the destruction these products are causing.
So we're getting ready to organize a global push aimed at one of the world's largest food companies and palm oil users. We can't give away all the details because we don't want the company to know what's coming. But we can tell you this -- if we can make it really big, it'll definitely get the mainstream media talking about how palm oil is killing orangutans.
Can you chip in $25 to help put together a campaign big enough to get the media's attention and save the orangutan?
Yes, I can chip in $25 to save the orangutan from clear-cutting by palm oil plantations.
SumOfUs was created to leverage the power of global consumer demand to force corporations to end their worst abuses. And the massive deforestation being caused by palm oil is one of the greatest environmental scandals of our time.
Corporations love palm oil because it's a bit cheaper than vegetable oils, so they've started putting it in everything from processed foods to household products like soap, toothpaste, and cosmetics. But the palm oil industry is a disaster for people and the planet. Deforestation in Southeast Asia is pushing the orangutan, the Sumatran tiger, and countless other endangered species to the brink of extinction. Indigenous communities' land is being stolen and their livelihoods destroyed by palm oil plantations.
But our campaigning has already helped push Kellogg's and Wilmar International, the world's largest palm oil trader, to commit to eliminate deforestation from their palm oil -- so we know consumer pressure can be effective.
We can keep the momentum going. But to organize a campaign big enough to get the media's attention and raise awareness about how palm oil is killing orangutans, we need your help. We'll use the money to campaign against one of the world's largest food corporations, and to make sure that millions of consumers and the media learn what's happening.
Can you chip in $25 to save the orangutan and get rid of unsustainable palm oil?
Thanks for all you do,
Paul and the team at SumOfUs.org
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More information:
The Guardian: Orangutans fight for survival as thirst for palm oil devastates rainforests
Bloomberg: Kellogg to Stop Buying Deforested Palm Oil Amid Pressure