Hi - you may be interested in the information below and in
signing the petition.
Jan
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| Dear Jan, Our forests are at risk again. Private company Forest Holidays is planning to take over swathes of Britain’s forests to build luxury chalet resorts. [1] They want to build on our forest land to increase their profits - and fast. [2] When our forests were at risk of being sold off in 2010, hundreds of thousands of us forced the government to put a stop to it. [3] Now, we can do the same again. These plans are too controversial to survive much public pressure. If thousands of us sign the petition, exposing Forest Holidays’ plans and calling for the government to stop them, they could be dropped. Forest Holidays used to be owned by the public, but last year a hungry private equity firm bought a large stake in the company. [4] Now they’re on a big expansion drive to boost their profits, and they’ve got their eye on our forests. The company’s boss thinks they’ll be successful in their quest for more profits because there are “one million hectares of forest in Great Britain so we’ve got plenty to keep us going for many years to come”. [5] Here’s just four reasons why their plans should be stopped:
The government are riding a huge wave of good publicity about the environment, from bringing back bottle deposits to protecting our bees. [10] A huge public outcry exposing Forest Holidays and their plans to take over our forests could be exactly the kind of bad press they want to avoid. That could force the government to intervene. If one of us spoke out, we’d be easy to ignore. But the beauty of 38 Degrees is that when we come together, we’re powerful. Let’s work together again to save our forests. Thanks for being involved, Jess, Holly, Laura, Gordon and the rest of the 38 Degrees team NOTES: [1] The Guardian: Will we stand by and watch the privatisation of our forests?: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/27/privatisation-forests-forestry-commission-commercial-development (Paywall) The Times: Forests are growing... into cabin parks: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/forests-are-growing-into-cabin-parks-vtc8p8bkr [2] Last year a large part of Forest Holidays was bought by a private-equity firm called ‘Phoenix Ventures’ and they have plans to expand the organisation:“Forest Holidays’ chief executive, Bruce McKendrick, justified the high price on the grounds that “the [forestry] commission has a million hectares of forest, so we’ve got plenty to keep us going for many years to come”.” Border Telegraph: Glentress cabin company is sold to private equity firm: http://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/15783819.Glentress_cabin_company_is_sold_to_equity_firm/ The Guardian: Will we stand by and watch the privatisation of our forests?: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/27/privatisation-forests-forestry-commission-commercial-development The Evening Standard: Staycations boom sees Forest Holidays snapped up for £110m: https://www.standard.co.uk/business/staycations-boom-sees-forest-holidays-snapped-up-for-110m-a3723056.html [3] 38 Degrees: Victory! Government to scrap plans to sell our forests: https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2011/02/17/victory-government-to-scrap-plans-to-sell-our-forests/ The Guardian: The great forest sell-off: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/oct/29/forest-sell-off-government [4] See note [2] The Guardian: UK will back total ban on bee-harming pesticides, Michael Gove reveals: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/uk-will-back-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides-michael-gove-reveals The Daily Mail: New charge for plastic bottles: Consumers will pay up to 22p 'deposit' when they buy drinks bottles and cans as Government unveils scheme to encourage recycling: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5551439/Environment-Secretary-Michael-Gove-unveils-deposit-return-scheme-drinks-bottles-cans.html [5] See note [2] [6] (Paywall) The Times: Forests are growing... into cabin parks: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/forests-are-growing-into-cabin-parks-vtc8p8bkr [7] The Guardian: Will we stand by and watch the privatisation of our forests?: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/27/privatisation-forests-forestry-commission-commercial-development [8] Shropshire Star: Vow to fight forest holiday park on Shropshire border: https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/south-shropshire/ludlow/2018/03/24/vow-to-fight-forest-holiday-park-on-shropshire-border/ [9] Shropshire Star: Ambitious new plans for Mortimer Forest unveiled including 70 holiday cabins: https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/south-shropshire/ludlow/2018/02/19/ambitious-new-plans-for-mortimer-forest-unveiled-including-70-holiday-cabins/ [10] The Guardian: UK will back total ban on bee-harming pesticides, Michael Gove reveals: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/uk-will-back-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides-michael-gove-reveals The Daily Mail: New charge for plastic bottles: Consumers will pay up to 22p 'deposit' when they buy drinks bottles and cans as Government unveils scheme to encourage recycling: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5551439/Environment-Secretary-Michael-Gove-unveils-deposit-return-scheme-drinks-bottles-cans.html |
38 Degrees wouldn’t exist without you, Susan Janet.38 Degrees has no big donors or corporate
sponsors. Everything we achieve together is only possible because of
fivers and tenners from ordinary people like you. Unsubscribe: If you no longer wish to be part of our movement and receive our emails you can unsubscribe here. This email was sent to janellis@tesco.net. 38 DEGREES |