Congratulations to Our Photo Contest Winners!
In late December, the Rainforest Alliance kicked off a photo contest that drew more than 5,000 entries. We received heaps of beautiful photos of flora, fauna, wildlife and travel destinations, but one submission stood out from all the rest -- Radim Schreiber’s "Butterfly Trumpet." The image, taken in the Missouri Butterfly Garden, was the Grand Prize Winner of the Rainforest Alliance’s Picture Sustainability photo contest and won Schreiber and his wife a trip to the Galapagos Islands, a visit to New York City, a Fuji Film digital camera and an Art Wolfe book of wildlife photography. Speaking about his win, Schreiber said: "[It’s] a milestone in my life and inspires me to continue pursuing my passion for photographing nature." Congratulations to Radim and all the winners of the 2008 Picture Sustainability photo contest!
McDonald’s Australia Serves up a Better Brew
Why not wake up with a tasty and sustainable cup of java? Thanks to McDonald’s Australia, it’s now easy to start the day off right. The company has committed to using Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee in all 484 of its "McCafés," which serve up 5,000 cups of coffee per hour. It’s safe to say that McDonald’s decision will have substantial social and environmental impacts in Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador -- the coffee growing countries from which the coffee is sourced. And this is not the first time that McDonald’s has chosen Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee when looking to improve their sourcing practices. In 2007, the fast food giant committed to selling exclusively Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees in all of its 1,200 restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
What’s Your Carbon Footprint?
The average American is responsible for almost 17 tons of carbon emissions per year; worldwide, the average person emits about 4.5 tons of carbon annually. And the buildup of greenhouse gases -- primarily carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide -- is the chief cause of global warming. That’s a pretty good reason to try to scale down, don’t you agree?
There are some great tools available to help you evaluate your emissions and develop a personalized carbon diet plan. If, for example, the majority of your emissions come from your commute to work, you might consider starting a carpool. To find out your carbon footprint, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s simple and easy-to-use calculator. Or, for an even more comprehensive calculation of your emissions (from your home, automobile and air travel), try Carbon Counter’s handy calculator.
Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council to Launch
In 1999, a study of tourism certification programs in Latin America revealed that existing certification initiatives -- which then numbered in the dozens -- lacked coordination and credibility in the eyes of consumers. In response, the Rainforest Alliance began its nearly decade-long effort to establish an international body for the regulation of sustainable tourism. We’re proud to announce that in early 2009, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the United Nations Foundation, we will launch the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC), a body that will work to increase credibility around sustainable tourism certification programs and ultimately help protect the environment, and the rights and livelihoods of local communities. The STSC will act as the accreditation body that endorses these certification programs and will create the first set of inclusive global requirements that such programs will need to meet.
We Invite You to Explore Our Treehouse
The Rainforest Alliance is very excited to announce the launch of our new treehouse, which was produced in collaboration with WNET 13, a Public Broadcasting System affiliate based in New York City. Kids of all ages are invited to climb on up and explore the wonders of the rainforest while learning about the people, plants and animals that call it home. While you’re visiting, go on a trek through the rainforest’s many layers, trace the origin and production of some very popular foods and get acquainted with students who live in the tropics.
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