Rally 'Round the Rainforest

Saving the rainforests may no longer be the environmental cause du jour for eco-minded celebrities, but these primal, species-rich landscapes still need protection from logging, climate change, and mining and drilling. Rainforest Action Network (RAN) suggests seven days' worth of political and personal actions you can take during World Rainforest Week, which starts today. A few easy ones:

• Bring your own mug to work, school, or your local cafe. Some coffee shops will even offer a small discount if you do. (I get 10 cents off at my local Peet's, which adds up to about $25 a year for this java junkie--enough to buy two pounds of beans!) Better yet, fill 'er up with some shade-grown coffee, which is grown under canopy trees in a forest, instead of on cleared land.
• Ride your bike, walk, or take public transportation instead of driving. Sound too tough? Just try it for a day; you may get hooked.
• Send a letter to ConocoPhillips and ask the oil company not to drill in the Amazon.

Another thing to do is eat less red meat--millions of acres of rainforest are cut down in order to graze cattle. According to RAN, 55 square feet of rainforest are destroyed just to make one fast-food burger. I think I can cut back on a quarter-pounder or two; how about you?