If we are to live in harmony with the planet and each other we need the courage to act on a shared vision of a better world. And we need to act NOW.

We, the undersigned, put forth these collective thoughts and invite others to share their visions.

- We know forests are a fundamental expression of the natural world and are key to supporting all life on Earth.

- We have witnessed how the destruction of the world's forests degrade the quality of human life and undermine the prospects for productive and vibrant economies.

- We know that carbon-rich natural habitats are critical to the restoration of natural climatic patterns.

- We believe we must reverse the frightening concentration of greenhouse gasses – now at 400 PPM -- and get back to the pre-industrial revolution levels of 280 PPM

- We believe that this dramatic mathematical U-turn alone is our only hope of preventing the blue sky from turning into a toxic furnace.

We, the undersigned call for:

- A halt to all deforestation

- A doubling of the native forest canopy in less than two decades.

Furthermore, we call for this with the intent to:

- Increase meaningful employment in planting native trees, restoring natural habitats, and closing unneeded roads.

- Help return the natural balance of greenhouse gasses to pre-industrial revolution levels and foster a healthy society.

- Maintain natural functions to purify the air and water and support the glorious web of life.

Finally, we call upon all people – our communities and our business and political leaders to work together to achieve this goal.

Such a courageous step could help lead us to a future no longer driven by overconsumption of natural resources, unnecessarily environmentally damaging technologies, overpopulation, and political-economies that foster aggregate consumption.

When heading for the edge of a cliff, the solution may be as simple as turning around and going in a fundamentally different direction. Native forest protection and restoration is key to this sensible U-turn. A shift to a better world is within our grasp, but we must collectively envision and enact it.

This is the great U-turn we seek.

Supported by:

• Randy Hayes        Executive Director, Foundation Earth
• Eric Dinerstein      Director, Biodiversity & Wildlife Solutions RESOLVE