By Community Correspondent Katie Kemp

Greenpeace have recently been working on a campaign following the exposure of companies recognised for the destruction of Indonesian rainforests to enable the mass production of pulp, paper and palm oil. It is the palm oil production which has created much alarm among environmentalists.

As you are most probably aware, there is an increasing threat faced by endangered species, such as the Orang-utan; this is mainly due to the brutal devastation of rainforests to satisfy the demand for these products. Not only are native species struggling to survive, people within these areas are facing the threat of having their livelihoods shattered.

The Greenpeace campaign has been working to increase awareness of the severity of the situation and the failure of these companies to act.

A number of students within the Merton community described a feeling of ‘obligation not only to posterity, but also to the people of Indonesia, those endangered species who face obliteration and most of all to satisfy our own convictions’. These young students, who are loyal supporters of Greenpeace themselves, decided to promote a boycott against such companies by initiating their own campaign within the community.

Having only recently begun the campaign, the group remain optimistic, ‘we plan to get as many people involved as we can manage – it’s a good cause. It’s important to prevent these large companies from exploiting vulnerable situations such as this merely to satisfy their profit. It will be a challenge, but we want to get the ball rolling, maybe it will spread further. We hope so.’

Subsequent to plastering posters along school halls, the group plan to send out leaflets among community members and make presentations within schools. They’ve recently been in touch with Greenpeace, who they hope will publicise their campaign further.

Watch out – the activists are about; expect a visit very soon.

For more information on the companies involved and details of the cause our young campaigners are working for, visit:

www.greenpeace.org.uk