Why Environmentalists Should Stand With Accused Whistleblower US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning

  if you had free reign over classified networks for long periods of time… … and you saw incredible things, awful things… things that belonged in the public domain, and not on some server stored in a dark room in Washington DC… what would you do?  … say… a database of half a million events [...]

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Cargill’s Pinkwashing Attempt Backfires At Fancy Luncheon

Katie Burgess, executive director of the Trans Youth Support Network, was asked to address the 18th Annual Coming Out Day Luncheon last week. But when she learned that Cargill was a corporate sponsor of the event, she decided to address an issue that was far more important than keeping everyone comfortable. Instead of kissing up [...]

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RAN: Big In Japan

This October marks the sixth anniversary of the opening of Rainforest Action Network’s Japan office, spearheaded by our Tokyo-based, activist-ambassador Toyo Kawakami. Toyo began working for RAN in 2005, campaigning to convince large Japanese paper companies and retailers to stop buying wood chips linked to the destruction of Tasmania’s old growth forests sold by Australian [...]

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From the Field: Inspirational Agroforestry at the Corner of Nature

After the doom and gloom of devastation we witnessed across the lowlands of Sumatra’s Riau and South Sumatra Provinces, we have finally got to visit a vibrant version of heaven on earth. The journey began from the city of Jambi with a harrowing 12-hour drive through treacherously muddy and mangled roads. The trip was alternately [...]

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From The Field: A Customary Elder of the Malayu Addresses Asia Pulp and Paper

It’s a good thing RAN’s forest campaigner, Lafcadio Cortesi, speaks Bahasa Indonesian so well. Otherwise I almost certainly would have gotten in the car with the undercover intelligence agent who told me to come with him because he “wanted to practice his English.” We had just arrived in the small village of Siabu, in the [...]

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From The Field: RAN’s Work Pays Off In Indonesia

I’ve only been in Indonesia for a few days and already I’ve heard multiple accounts of intimidation, corruption, kidnapping, torture and even murder suffered by our allies here who have been bold enough to speak out and resist the destruction of their forests and villages by palm oil and pulp and paper companies. But I [...]

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What is Earthalujah, Anyway?

RAN friend and ally Reverend Billy recently posted a great video explaining the Church of Earthaluja on YouTube. He describes the Church of Earthaluja and the video like this: Well we gathered in NYC here, and started this ‘Earthalujah Church.’ Why? Well we’re agnostics or what are we — over-cultured — and something about this time [...]

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Giving to RAN: Kitty Jones

Kyana Jones, also known as Kitty Jones, started a small cleaning business to raise funds for nonprofits, and chose RAN as one of the beneficiaries. After hearing about Kitty’s selfless efforts to raise support and awareness about protecting the environment and wildlife, I asked her if she would share her story with the RAN community [...]

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Life Has Changed On Ecuador’s Aguarico River Since Chevron’s Arrival

The mighty Aguarico River is where the Cofán people have fished, bathed, and washed for many generations. The river also traditionally provided the community’s main source of drinking water. It was the lifeblood of the Cofán. But the Aguarico now holds a very different meaning for the Cofán and for Emergildo Criollo, a leader in [...]

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As ACORN Falls, Let a Mighty Oak Grow

Following the news over the past couple of weeks has weighed heavily on my heart. I was sickened and saddened watching protesters hurling racist and homophobic invective at members of Congress, including Rep. John Lewis, who has put his life and liberty on the line more than once in the struggle for civil rights and [...]

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