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Rainforest Action Network by Elizabeth Yarnell Grass-roots activism in support of a responsible global community links the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) to this year's Digital Be-In. Since 1985, RAN has been working to protect tropical rainforests and the human rights of those living in and around those forests. Through direct-action campaigns, international conferences, media campaigns, publications, and consumer education, RAN pressures governments, multinational corporations, and consumers to consider how their actions affect our fragile rainforest ecosystems. RAN forces us to comprehend the consequences of our actions, down to purchasing a hamburger made from beef grazed in denuded rainforests. Beyond the environmental implications, RAN acknowledges the human impact of the destruction of the rainforests. The exploitation of the rainforests not only affects the environment, but also indigenous groups whose historic habitat is threatened. Adjusting to the modern demands of our era, the rainforest zones have developed a non-sustainable economy of slash-and-burn agriculture, ranching, or non-selective harvesting of natural resources. Through financial contributions and networking services, RAN supports the efforts of indigenous and environmental groups in tropical countries to achieve ecologically sustainable solutions within and appropriate to their own regions. RAN's affiliation with 1998's Digital Be-In accentuates the common goals of utilizing resources effectively without infringing upon the individual human rights of those involved.