An Earth Day Message From CI
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![[object Object]](http://getinvolved.conservation.org/images/content/pagebuilder/16029.gif) | An Earth Day Message From CI Somewhere in the U.S., as you read this, a young girl breathes clean air. A new father drinks clean water. And a grandmother is protected against pollutants like soot, mold and mercury. These things happen, in part, because of actions taken by people like you. In 1970, everyday people in the U.S. and around the world came together for the first Earth Day, raising awareness of how human health was at risk because we weren’t taking care of the natural environment. This new awareness led the U.S. to enact the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. It also led to the formation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And it galvanized a global conservation movement, one that understands that people need nature to thrive. This Friday, April 22, hundreds of millions of people in nearly every country on Earth will celebrate the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. We hope this newsletter, with inspiring stories from Conservation International (CI), helps illustrate just how much the spirit of Earth Day lives on — and inspires the work that YOU support to make sure that we protect ecosystems, and the people who rely upon them, now and forever. READ: Human Health and the Environment| POWER THE MOVEMENT: Visit the Earth Day Network | |
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| | Areng River, Cambodia
© CI/Photo by David Emmett |
No Ecstasy for Cambodia’s Forests Everyone knows the human cost of taking illegal drugs. But what about the human — and ecological — costs of making them? That’s a story that David Emmett, regional director of CI’s Greater Mekong program, wants to tell. Emmett was recently joined by a film crew in the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia to shoot an episode for the National Geographic series “Drugs, Inc.”, looking at the devastating environmental impacts of the illegal production of the drug Ecstasy. The episode won’t air until later this year. But David has written a fascinating two-part series on CI’s blog about his adventures. Check it out. | |
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| | Harvesting oil palm fruit in Liberia
© CI/photo by Rob McNiel
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Rethinking Palm Oil —
A Controversial Commodity It’s in our candy bars, soap and peanut butter. It even powers some of our cars. But even though it’s everywhere, palm oil remains one of the most controversial commodities on the market today, in no small part because its production too often means the destruction of forests. Faced with this situation, we have two choices. We can bury our heads in the sand. Or we can act. “As the world's population grows, global demand for vegetable oils will grow as well,” says CI scientist Conrad Savy. “Palm oil isn't going away — we can either stand on the sidelines and watch, or get in the game and make it better.” That’s why CI plays a major role in the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a forum that in the past few years has compelled many giants of the palm oil industry to change their ways. | |
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 | 1,300+ Species, And Still Counting: 20 Years of CI’s RAP Initiative If you’d led 20 years of scientific expeditions that resulted in the collection of 1,300 species new to science, you’d crow about it. So we crowed
about it. CI recently celebrated 20 years of its Rapid Assessment Program (RAP), which sends scientists on short field visits to study some of the least-known wildernesses left on Earth. There, scientists have made some of the most remarkable species discoveries of the last two decades — and helped communities, businesses, and nations make smarter development decisions about land and water use. To mark the occasion, we highlighted some of the most unique species we’ve found — the RAP Stars — and even created a rap song and music video to go along with our celebration! | |
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 | Take Action for Earth Day What can you do to help protect human well-being and the planet we call home? Deepak Chopra and Ian Somerhalder aren’t just amazing talents. They’re also friends of CI who are deeply committed to nature, and they have joined together to help protect forests around the world. Join them in supporting CI’s Lost There, Felt Here campaign. Flying on United or Continental Airlines on Earth Day? Use Mobile Boarding on Friday, April 22, on any flight originating in the U.S., and United will contribute $1 to help “Protect an Acre” with Conservation International. Learn more. Get to know more about “African Cats,” the newest in Disneynature’s series of films celebrating the environment and the wildlife that inhabit it! “African Cats” captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the kings of the savanna. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, “African Cats” leaps into theaters across the U.S. on Earth Day. | |
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| | Header image: Bald eagle © istockphoto | |
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