'AVATAR' Tropical Forests at risk…in Australia!

I am not a big campaigner really but sometimes things just happen and you see something special ……worth doing something about….see what you think…

My wife, Jan, and I recently returned from Australia and while in Cairns / Queensland I was delighted to pay the access fees and get to dive the Great Barrier Reef.

An outstanding  world class nature reserve, the GBR was totally amazing and it occurred to me that this was exactly the sort of protection our natural reserves needed in any sophisticated, modern county.

While there Jan and I also found time to walk in the Kuranda tropical rain forests north of Cairns which were also very interesting and really quite special - being 120,000,000 years old they are truly precious!

In fact it is on this very subject I want to ask you your opinion?

I have discovered a total reverse of the prudent care and protection Queensland applies to underwater corals….in their ancient rain forests!!!

The Queensland government is (Covered in an article in The Cairns Post  Feb 28th 2013 search article: http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx ) reversing the protected status applied by past governments of large areas of these Kuranda forests and opening up commercial logging- estimated at around 30,000 hectares per year and a total take at this stage of around 2 million hectares.

It seems incredible that the Queensland government quietly enjoys an income of millions of AU$ each year from divers, boaters and snorkelers who all enthusiastically help fund the protection of GBR – which they recognise and appreciate as valuable in its natural state…yet those state authorities are openly exposing ancient rain forests and trees…. to irreversible commercial destruction. It is ironic that the very same trees and special tropical environment was visited by Cameron himself and used as inspiration for Avatar’s theme of anti-destruction of simple but precious natural resources.

So, I have started this personal campaign which I hope you and your colleagues might like to read about and maybe even  consider supporting - through this Petition and through your voice on-line?

Every minute and every voice now counts!

Please feel free to add your views: http://www.protectedplanet.net/sites/356517  and do look out for further updates.

I know you all get this  campaigning stuff all the time.  But we were so impressed by the guide’s  demonstration of creatures, birds and forest life ….and the range of foods and medicine available from these ancient forests …as part of the old Aboriginal ways…and  their closeness with the earth we simply wanted to do something. We were moved by the place and shocked by this sort of amazingly stupid decision-making in a country famous for it’s protection policies- if it can happen in Australia how can we possible stop it happening in Borneo, Brazil or Africa?

Many thanks for your time and please share this petition link!

Richard Stephens