Mélanie Laurent is Kofi Annan’s ‘climate justice’ ambassador and star of Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie ‘Inglorious Basterds.’
I love Nutella, darn it. Melanie Laurent - The forest peat soils in Kampar store some 2 billion tones of carbon. Much of the forest that once surrounded the Kampar Peninsula has been destroyed to make way for plantations, largely for products like paper and palm oil. © Janet Mayer / PR Photos
The French actress has joined Greenpeace in the heart of the Indonesian rainforest - there to speak out against the mass destruction of the planet’s forests because it is one of the main causes of climate change and a critical issue to be addressed at the UN Copenhagen Climate Summit in five week’s time.
According to some sources, global deforestation accounts for about a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions because the carbon forests store is released into the atmosphere when they are cut down or burned.
Mélanie Laurent said: “I believe that climate change is the greatest threat humanity has ever faced. When I found out that the destruction of our planet’s forests is one of the main causes I called Greenpeace and asked if I could join them at their Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia and to see the situation for myself.”
“I’m shocked by the scale of the devastation here in Indonesia. As far as the eye can see, the forest has been carved up and abandoned or replaced with lifeless plantations. This is a climate catastrophe in the making. We will face mass species extinction, floods, droughts and famine in our lifetimes unless we end deforestation here and around the globe.”
“I’m joining the millions people who are calling on world leaders to take much tougher action over the next five weeks to pull us back from the brink of a climate crisis. I strongly urge them to agree to far more drastic cuts in fossil fuel emissions and to make an effective deal to end global deforestation, including the funds needed to put the deal into action (2).”
Mélanie will be in the rainforest until November 3 where she will meet Greenpeace activists and local communities at Greenpeace’s ‘Climate Defenders’ Camp’ on the threatened Kampar Peninsula, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The forest peat soils in Kampar store some 2 billion tones of carbon. Much of the forest that once surrounded the Kampar Peninsula has been destroyed to make way for plantations, largely for products like paper and palm oil.
Palm oil is used to make Nutella, a favorite, and other chocolate, toothpaste and so-called biofuels. The scale of the destruction is so massive that Indonesia is the third largest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet after China and the US.
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