A movement is underway to persuade the UK government to introduce ‘Sustainable Living & Environmental Awareness’ lessons in schools. A petition has been started at the 10 Downing Street website. Add your voice here

You still have a chance to nominate the winner of the Observer Ethical Awards, which are held in association with Ecover. Entires for this years nominations must be in by March 14th 2008. This is the 3rd year Awards that give everyone the chance to promote their favourite socially and environmentally ethical enterprise. There are 10 categories of award, four of which: Best Local Retailer, Best Supermarket or Online Retailer, Campaigner and Politician of the Year, Ethical Kids Award, are determined by public vote. Other awards include Conservation Project of the Year, Ethical Business of the Year and Fashion Product or Accessory of the Year are judged by an expert panel from eco designers to sustainability academics and eco architects. There are prize funds of £500 - £2000 to be won & the exposure of winning the award can be a real help to small businesses. Projects can download promotional materials and you can vote here

A project to clear 60,000 hectares of  rainforest on biodiversity rich Woodlark Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, and to replace it with an oil palm plantation for biofules have been shelved after the developers Vitroplant withdrew.

PNG’s Minister for Agriculture and Livestock says no oil palm development will take place on Woodlark Island.

Intenational protest is said to have embarrassed the PNG government and highlighted the contradiction of their support of carbon payments for avoided deforestation.

Following the direction of local peoples, Ecological Internet’s Earth action network was able to generate nearly 50,000 protest emails from 3,000 people in 72 countries.

“We welcome reports that the Woodlark oil palm project is dead,” states Ecological Internet’s President Dr. Glen Barry. “Yet campaigning highlighted the hypocrisy of their support of carbon payments for avoided deforestation and will continue until Woodlark is legally removed from consideration for agricultural deforestation, and the land is returned to its residents.”

“The power of networks of informed Earth citizens to support local conservation action and an end to ancient rainforest logging has again been demonstrated. The forces of ecological destruction must be confronted and defeated,” asserts Dr. Barry.

Ecological Internet’s PNG rainforest campaign seeks legally binding assurances that palm oil and other biofuels will not be developed on currently forested lands, and the elimination of PNG’s industrial log export industry. Only then will payments for rainforest protection be justified.

More info

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Learn more about Renewable energy:

Renewable Energy: Find Green, Renewable Energy Videos & other environment videos
Further reading: Find Renewable Energy Books

ACTION ALERT Save Bialowieza Forest, Europe’s Last Primeval Temperate ForestDemand the Polish government stop exploitation of the ancient Bialowieza forest, preserve the whole complex as a national park, and end permanently extensive logging that threatens Europe’s last remnant old-growth northern temperate forests.
Situated on the Polish/Belarussian border, the Bialowieza Forest is a priceless relic of lowland European forests, a place where the last fragments of primeval temperate old- growth forest on the Central European lowland have survived.It is home to many species extinct elsewhere including the European Bison, the largest terrestrial mammal of Europe; and also contains lynx, wolves and other threatened wildlife and plants. Yet approximately 90% of the forest remains unprotected. For many years environmental NGOs, scientists, concerned citizens in Poland and abroad have asked successive Polish governments to protect the forest, asking them to ban cutting of old growth and for enlargement of the Bialowieza National Park to protect the whole forest complex. UP till now there has been little success. After the autumn elections Poland has a new government, so campaigners are trying anew. Please help influence Polish politicians by sending the protest email below. After doing so please note the exciting update on our New York City rainforest timber campaign.Forestry Further readingTAKE ACTION NOWSave an acre of rainforest!
Whilst were on the topic of forests what if you could save an acre of rainforest from the loggers axe, helping to keep the trees breathing and absorbing carbon dioxide? You think it a good idea, right? We do too. Click here for more details…