#2/05 Protect Mangroves and Shark Habitat / The Bahamas

The Rt. Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie, Prime Minister June 24, 2005
Cecil Wallace Whitfield Centre
Cable Beach
P.O. Box N3217
Nassau NP Bahamas

Dear Prime Minister Christie,

During the past five winters, we have enjoyed sailing in the Bahamas. We are tourists who favor destinations where natural resources are protected, and your beautiful islands have lived up to their fine reputation until very recently. Now we have become alarmed at the prospect of overdevelopment in certain ecologically sensitive areas adjacent to fragile marine habitats. I urge you and your government to halt construction before your country’s most precious natural resources are destroyed and your most beautiful attractions for ecotourists are squandered.

We oppose the Passetine Development on the northern end of Guana Cay in the Abacos. We strongly endorse the advocacy work of “Save Guana Cay Reef and Mangroves,” because we know that the surrounding coral reefs will not survive if the 240 slip marina and golf course are built. The run-off will go directly into the ocean and destroy this currently pristine area of the Bahamas. We want to help persuade you to this view point.

We are also very alarmed to learn that the Bahamian government is poised to authorize continued construction of the Bimini Bay Resort, which is already damaging mangrove and marine resources with Phase 1 construction. If the resort is allowed to proceed to Phases II and III, its marinas, condos and golf course would replace one of the most important marine nursery habitats in the Bahamas: Bimini’s North Sound lagoon, which supplies large areas of the Bahamas with fish, lobster and conch. If is also the site of a marine research station where scientist have been studying sharks for 20 years – a rare opportunity to track individual sharks over time and learn about their life cycle and interaction with the mangrove ecosystem.

We believe that further development of Bimini Island and the northern end of Guana Cay is shortsighted and harms Bahamian citizens by causing irreparable and irreversible environmental damage to virgin land and marine habitats. You will destroy exactly what makes your country so special. We urge you to allow these areas to remain as ecotourist and natural conservatory sites.

Sincerely yours,

Samuel and Ann H.
Greensboro, NC

#1/03 Support Sarayacu People / Ecuador

Sr. Lucio Gutierrez, Presidente March 7, 2003
Palacio de Gobierno
Calle Garcia Moreno y Espejo
Quito, Ecuador

Dear Sr. Presidente,

I am writing to you because I am very concerned about the fact that the U.S. company Chevron Texaco and the Argentine company CGC are conducting seismic tests in the islands of the Sarayacu people in order to find oil. The Sarayacu people are trying to stop the explosions by forming a human chain but they are being threatened by the oil companies. Drilling for oil in the territory of the Sarayacu people will destroy the undisturbed rainforest, many endangered species and the way of life of the indigenous people. Furthermore, the Sarayacu people have legal title to their land and they have said No, so the entry of oil companies to their land is illegal.

I must urge you to take immediate action concerning this case. The rainforests are the national treasure of your country and they should be protected. In the future would your country benefit more from eco-tourism than oil-drilling? More and more people all over the world are taking interest in undisturbed nature. Besides, burning fossil fuels is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. The world must start using alternative energy resources soon anyway.

Thank you for your time. I would very much appreciate if you could answer my letter.

Sincerely yours,

Pille-Riin T., 18
Tallinn, Estonia

#3/03 Protect Forest Reserves & Mining / Ghana

Mrs. Cecilia Bannerman 9th of May, 2003
Minister of Mines
P.O. Box T40
Accra, Ghana

Honorable Minister,

My name is Anisha and I am a member of the Global Response Network. I am concerned about the proposal being made to carry out gold mining in Ghana’s forest reserves, which will seriously jeopardize the biological diversity and adversely affect the environment.

The Ghanaian forest reserves are habitat for over 700 different tree species. Mining activity will threaten many endangered species including chimpanzees, forest elephants, giant forest hogs and 23 endangered butterfly species. Ghana is one of the few places remaining on earth that possesses such incredible eco-diversity. Mining will also pollute rivers with toxic chemicals, killing aquatic flora and fauna indirectly causing health problems in urban areas. It will open the pristine forests to illegal logging, poaching and bush meat trade, threatening the survival of many endangered primates.

The Ghanaian government has taken a very positive step by signing and satisfying the convention on Biological diversity. I request you to uphold this convention. Mining activity has already devastated lands outside the forest reserves. Please protect these reserves from further destruction. I ask you to support us in our efforts to restore Planet Earth as we fight another environmental crisis.

Thank you for your time and patience. I request you to respond to this letter. I trust that the necessary action will be taken immediately.

Sincerely Yours,

Anisha Z., 15
Mumbai, India

#3/96 Rainforest Destruction / Nigeria

Mr. Jean Louis Sarbib, Vice President, Africa Region October 20, 1996
The World Bank
1818 H. Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20433

Dear Mr. Sarbib,

The destruction of our global environment is one of the most important issues that we face today. As the Vice President of the World Bank for the African region, you have the power to help save a piece of this environment, Nigeria’s Coastal River National Park. The park contains Nigeria’s last lowland rainforest and is home to several endangered species and over one thousand plant species, many of them rare. One of the most endangered species in the park, the drill, is a forest baboon found only in Nigeria and Cameroon. The plans proposed, that would include logging at least one-third of the park, would push the drill much nearer to extinction. Cross River also contains the rare mimosap and mahogany trees, which would also be in danger if the park was to be logged.

The World Bank has always shown concern for the environment and for development in Nigeria, and I would like to encourage you to continue doing so by persuading the Federal Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw any logging authorization for the Cross River National Park. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely yours,

Rachel N., 16
Versailles, KY

#5/98 Save a Sea Turtle Nesting Beach / Mexico

Sr. Ernesto Zadillo Ponce de Leon
C. Presidente Oficial de los Pinos
Col. San Miguel Chapultec
CP 11850
Mexico D.F., Mexico

Dear Mr. President,

I’d like to write to you about the problem concerning the X’cacel beach. Mexico has laws to protect sear turtles that lay eggs on Mexican beaches, and yet to state of Quintana Roo is selling the most important turtle nesting beach to big hotel companies.

I’ll explain to you why it is important to protect the loggerhead and green sea turtles. Sea turtles are very ancient creatures; they existed even before the dinosaurs. The have survived for 150 million years and now they may become extinct only because their natural living conditions are destroyed. They are endangered even without destroying their nesting beaches because the ocean is being polluted, they are being drowned in huge fishing nets, theirs shells and skins are sold and people eat their eggs and meat.

Every day about 50 endangered species become extinct. Would it be wise to sacrifice the turtles in the name of a hotel? I don’t think so and neither to the children of Quintana Roo.

Please take into consideration the laws of Mexico and don’t destroy the X’cacel beach. Thank you for reading my letter, I hope you will think about what I have written and in that way save the loggerhead and green sea turtles.

Sincerely yours,

Ilo- Hanna H., 16
Estonia