Randy works with organizers and regional networks in Africa, Australia,
Latin America and beyond to promote conservation worldwide. His positive
approach shows how a worldwide network of educated, active citizens
can orchestrate the great ecological U-turn. His "500 Year Planning
Process" spells out a vision of a sustainable society and how to get
there.
Randy founded and directed Rainforest Action Network for 15 years.
His training ground was growing up in the forests of West Virginia and
the swamps of Florida. Randy's master's thesis in Environmental Planning
was the award winning film "The Four Corners, A National Sacrifice Area".
The film won the Academy of Motion Picture's award for "Best Student
Documentary". This epic film documents the tragic effects of uranium
and coal mining on Hope and Navajo tribal lands in the American Southwest.
From working with American Indians Randy learned about the plight of
native people in tropical rainforests.
Randy works with organizers and regional networks in Africa, Australia,
Latin America and beyond to promote conservation worldwide. His positive
approach shows how a worldwide network of educated, active citizens
can orchestrate the great ecological U-turn. His "500 Year Planning
Process" spells out a vision of a sustainable society and how to get
there.
| Randy Hayes: |
Hello everybody! I'm Randy Hayes and am looking forward to our
chat from 7-8PM. I have a broad range of experience, but don't know
everything. Ask away and if I don't know I'll just say so. Randy |
| KitKat: |
Randy - Your name is in black. Can you go to the menu and change
the color to red? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Welcome KitKat, good to have you on board. My messages show red
on my computer. RH |
| KitKat: |
Oops me too. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Hi sparks, welcome back. |
| csparks23: |
hi everyone |
| KitKat: |
What is the RAN focused on now? |
| Randy Hayes: |
We have two major campaigns. Stop the world from using old growth
wood and get Citi bank to stop loaning for bad logging. |
| Randy Hayes: |
CS, do you know what we mean by old growth? |
| csparks23: |
no |
| csparks23: |
could you elaborate |
| Randy Hayes: |
Essentially it means wood from forests that have never been cut
before. The entire Amazon would be old growth. |
| csparks23: |
okay |
| Randy Hayes: |
Some people call old forests, Ancient Forests. This is the same
as old growth. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Ignacia, what is one of your favorite things in nature? |
| csparks23: |
what are some issues that are a big problem among rainforests
now? |
| KitKat: |
Why does it matter to you? |
| csparks23: |
lol |
| csparks23: |
i just asked that |
| Randy Hayes: |
Logging is the biggest cause of deforestation so we are helping
people know how to find paper made out of agricultural waste such
as wheat straw. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Most of the worlds animal species are in the tropical rainforests.
I hope you get to go to the Amazon sometime. |
| csparks23: |
what did you have to do to get to the job you have now? |
| KitKat: |
How old were you when you got involved? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Home Depot is the worlds largest seller of wood. RAN got them
to agree to stop selling old growth wood which is a big victory
for the rainforests. |
| Randy Hayes: |
My senior year of college I realized I wanted my job to be about
protecting nature. So I was about 22. |
| csparks23: |
what college did you attend? |
| Randy Hayes: |
I went to Bowling Green State Univ. |
| Randy Hayes: |
That is in Ohio. I moved to Calif. right after graduating. I'm
now 51. |
| Randy Hayes: |
My degree was in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I also
got a Masters in Environmental Planning at San Francisco State Univ. |
| csparks23: |
I am interested in doing something in the science feild. I'm just
not sure what part. |
| KitKat: |
Have you been to the Amazon? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Ecology is a science. We will need a lot of ecologists to help
solve our enviro. problems. |
| csparks23: |
I know I don't want to do work in a laboratory but more with interacting |
| Randy Hayes: |
I've been to the amazon about 6 times. Ecuadorian Amazon and Brazil. |
| Randy Hayes: |
A field biologist interacts with nature a lot, but has some lab
work as well. |
| csparks23: |
I didn't know you did Ignacia |
| csparks23: |
wow |
| Randy Hayes: |
Michelle, do you want a career in enviro. work? |
| Randy Hayes: |
What kind of wildlife did you see in the Amazon? Any monkeys? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Do any of your schools get serious about saving energy and teaching
environmental topics? |
| csparks23: |
Yes we are in club P.O.W.E.R |
| Randy Hayes: |
Arn't you on the web site as the feature group right now? Thats
great. |
| csparks23: |
which stands for Protecting Our Environment and Resources |
| csparks23: |
Wildlife |
| Randy Hayes: |
I saw that you had a field trip, but can't remember where. |
| csparks23: |
it was probably the restoration project in Walnut creek |
| Randy Hayes: |
Is there one main teacher in POWER or are several involved? |
| csparks23: |
we tried to reduce the amount of mug wort which was an invasive
specie |
| csparks23: |
several actually |
| Randy Hayes: |
There used to be an underground missle base atop Angel Island.
They removed the missles but you can still see where they once were. |
| csparks23: |
I am vice president but it is pretty much controlled by the teachers |
| Randy Hayes: |
I like seeing the wind mills on Angel Is. but they aren't spinning
very much. Perhaps you can ask why. |
| csparks23: |
What is the most interesting animal you have come across? |
| csparks23: |
yeah we are going on a tour that is going to tell us the history |
| Randy Hayes: |
The Golden Lion Tamarind Monkey in Brazil was tiny and looked
like a 100 year old man. |
| csparks23: |
lol |
| Randy Hayes: |
The red howler monkey is pretty and has a powerful cry. |
| csparks23: |
I can do an imitation of a lemur.....lol |
| KitKat: |
I don't know what's a problem with rainforests |
| Randy Hayes: |
Some day our computers will have live sound, but not tonight.
The big eyes of the lemurs are great. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Most of the species that haven't been discovered are insects and
plants. |
| csparks23: |
So have you been to Madagascar? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Only about 1% of the plants have been studied for their medicinal
or food potential. |
| csparks23: |
Would that include most of the micoscropic species? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Haven't been to Mada gascar, but a good friend Dave Parks has
a photo exibit if you know a place to put it up. |
| Randy Hayes: |
I'm not a biologist so I don't know what percentage of the unknown
species that might be mico, but one assumes a lot. |
| csparks23: |
I think my dream job would be to just travel around the world
and have my own televison show like The Jeff Corwin Experience |
| Randy Hayes: |
We need to stop the burning of the rainforest. It is like burning
a library before you read the books. Much to do. |
| KitKat: |
What can we work on with you? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Some good news. About 80% of the Amazon is still in tact. We have
only lost 15-20% |
| csparks23: |
So why is it that people decide to burn raiforests to harvest
crops on when it doesn't even last a long time? |
| Randy Hayes: |
If there are any Staples stores where you live you could write
them or send a delegation to ask them to stop selling old growth
paper. |
| csparks23: |
ok |
| Randy Hayes: |
With climate patterns changing some forests are burning because
they are drying out and natural lightning starts the fire. We need
to stop using fossil fuel in the US to help save the Amazon. |
| Randy Hayes: |
How many Staples are where you live? |
| csparks23: |
Ignacia what do you think like 2? |
| Randy Hayes: |
If you call RAN 415/398-4404 they can send you info on the Staples
campaign. www.ran.org also has info. |
| Randy Hayes: |
I think most of the employees at Staples want to help.They just
need a little more pressure. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Ever heard of a 4X4? That is where four activists agree to talk
to a store owner at least 4 times to get them to agree to make a
change. |
| Randy Hayes: |
About 60 companies have agreed to stop selling old growth wood
and paper, but we need Kinkos copy shop and Staples to join the
club. |
| csparks23: |
So that is a procedure that has to be done in order for them to
do anything? |
| KitKat: |
Did you work on all 60 |
| csparks23: |
yes |
| csparks23: |
Diana's brother works there |
| Randy Hayes: |
CS and Inacia, can you form a 4X4 and pick a Staples to visit?
When you keep coming back they realize that you are serious. It
usually works. |
| csparks23: |
okay so what exactlly should we do....say? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Call Jenifer or Mike Brune at RAN and they will walk you through
the basics. |
| csparks23: |
ok |
| Randy Hayes: |
KitKat, do you dream about nature and animals? |
| Randy Hayes: |
I have had some dreams about witch doctors from some of the native
tribes I've visited in the Amazon. |
| Randy Hayes: |
They were good dreams, not too scary. |
| csparks23: |
me too |
| KitKat: |
Wow!No personal dreams about animals. Did you see a witch doctor? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Most of the tribes have been very friendly, especially when you
tell them you are trying to help them protect their homeland/forests. |
| csparks23: |
Aren't the witch doctors the people who use old remedies from
nature...? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Yes, they use plants and are often good doctors. |
| KitKat: |
Are the people in the rainforest worried about the burning |
| Randy Hayes: |
Some of our scientists are learning a lot from their knowledge
of the plants healing properties. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Many of the tribes have smaller bands of people 30-40 that make
up a larger tribe. There are still some tribes that have never been
contacted by us "modern" people. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Some of the tribes still don't want contact fromthe outside world
so they hide. |
| csparks23: |
why is that? |
| Randy Hayes: |
They have seen that other tribes get "whiteman's" diseases and
the tribes sometimes all die off. They don't want to get sick from
our "civilized" culture. |
| Randy Hayes: |
They all have their own languages, but often a few will speak
spanish or portuguese so I have to have an interpreter to talk to
them. |
| csparks23: |
Have there been any problems associated with these tribes due
to their lack of technology? |
| Randy Hayes: |
The common cold is not common to them and it can sometimes kill
them. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Some of the tribes are sophisticated in technology and use computers.
Others are more remote and less familiar with technology. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Their doctors can treat the problems natural to the forest, but
not strange problems caused by the industrial world. |
| csparks23: |
Are they harming the environment in their hunting or mistreating? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Welcome to the new guest. |
| csparks23: |
Mr. Hanel? |
| Randy Hayes: |
The real hunting problems in the rainforest including central
Africa comes from the loggers more than the natives. |
| KitKat: |
Can the rainforest grow back from the burning? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Loggers hunt to eat while they cut the mahogany trees, but they
sometimes hunt extra "bushmeat" to sell to restaurants in the cities
just outside the forest. |
| Randy Hayes: |
A forest can return from a small patch that has been burned, but
it is much harder when it is an area the size of the Bay Area. |
| csparks23: |
what is done to restore the rainforest after it is burned? |
| csparks23: |
Will it be the same or not as strong in nutrients? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Virtually nothing. We have to let nature try to restore it. |
| Randy Hayes: |
When big areas are burned the soil often washes away in the next
big rains. |
| Randy Hayes: |
The soils in the tropical rainforest are very thin so when they
are gone a desert can form. |
| csparks23: |
oh thats interesting |
| Randy Hayes: |
Stopping the use of rainforest wood is the best way for us to
help save the rainforest. I hope you can follow up with Staples. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Wood and paper. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Staples doesn't sell wood. |
| csparks23: |
yes I will try my best |
| dhanel: |
I know of several organizations that "purchase"acres of rainforest
using donated money. Is that effective protection? |
| Randy Hayes: |
jkrill@ran.org is Jennifer's email. She can get you info on Staples. |
| Randy Hayes: |
The buy an acre or adopt an acre programs are a bit sketchy. |
| Randy Hayes: |
The Nature Conservancy's program is OK. |
| Randy Hayes: |
We have one called Protect an Acre where we give the donated money
to Indian tribes to protect their land title. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Buying the actual forest is a pretty expensive way to save it.
It would take many billions. |
| dhanel: |
Where can we get more information on the Protect an Acre program
for interested students? |
| Randy Hayes: |
Most of our donations to the Protect an Acre program come from
schools. Tamar at our office has the details tamar@ran.org |
| Randy Hayes: |
Our web site ran.org has info on this program as well. |
| Randy Hayes: |
I need to catch a bus home soon, but it has been great to e-chat
with you all. |
| Randy Hayes: |
Thanks for your interest and world for |
| dhanel: |
Thanks for your time and your efforts on behalf of us all... |
| Randy Hayes: |
...Mother Nature. She needs a lot of friends. You all are heros!!!!!
RAndy |
| csparks23: |
thanks |
| Randy Hayes: |
Good luck! It is also fun to help save the Earth. Signing off!!!!
Randy Hayes |
|
