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Team Sky's rainforest rescue

Image: Wiggins: In the new kit

Team Sky will be helping to save one billion trees in the Amazon rainforest during the Tour of Britain, which starts on Saturday.

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Charity begins at home for British-based team

Team Sky will be helping to save one billion trees in the Amazon rainforest during the Tour of Britain, which starts on Saturday. The six Team Sky riders competing in the race - Steve Cummings, Russell Downing, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins - will be wearing a unique Sky Rainforest Rescue kit. This includes branded jerseys, glasses, helmets, water bottles, saddles and bikes while Team Sky staff will also be wearing recycled sunglasses. Sky Rainforest Rescue is a three year project working in partnership with Sky and WWF to help save a billion trees in the state of Acre, northwest Brazil. Deforestation is now responsible for roughly 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions and an area the size of three football pitches is destroyed every minute in the Amazon. And Wiggins stressed how crucial it is to act now, saying: "Wearing this unique Sky Rainforest Rescue kit during the Tour of Britain is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness for a really important issue and help reach the target of raising £4million to save one billion trees in the Amazon." Sky Rainforest Rescue offers a number of ways by which we can all help tackle deforestation; for just £3 a month you can sponsor an acre of rainforest or adopt a jaguar, a donation of £20 will help save 1000 trees. For more information visit: www.sky.com/rainforestrescue. All money raised through Sky Rainforest Rescue will be donated to WWF-UK, charity registered in England and Wales number 1081247 and in Scotland number SC039593. Sky will donate a further £1 to WWF-UK to match each £1 raised through Sky Rainforest Rescue, and has guaranteed to contribute a total of £2,000,000. The 2010 Tour of Britain will once again take place over eight days, beginning in Rochdale on Saturday and finishing at the heart of London on September 18th.

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