Orangutans, Cheap Palm Oil and You

[Woogie Man]

The Orangutan, the enchanting 'man of the forest', is facing extinction (within 20 years at the current rate) due to loss of habitat. Massive de-forestation of the Indonesian rain forests in order to plant palm plantations is the sole culprit of this and....IT'S 100% UNNECESSARY!!

This is a problem that we are all contributing to, knowingly or not. The growth of the palm oil industry is a phenomenon that has occurred only in the last 20 years or so. Palm oil is now found in many products ranging from soaps, lotions, makeup, all kinds of foods and now even biofuels. Due to this, we are in danger of being the last generation to know of the Orangutan in its natural habitat.

Palm oil is an edible oil that has been known for centuries. It is native to West Africa and has been grown worldwide at various times, including in the United States. The advantage of palm oil is that the plant it comes from has the highest yield of any plant used for oil. In other words, it's CHEAPER to produce than any other oil. It's also a lower quality oil. If it was a 'quality' oil, you would find it bottled and on your grocery shelf. Take a look. You'll find corn, canola, peanut, safflower, vegetable and olive oil but you won't find palm oil.

So what's wrong with palm oil? Nothing, except for the way that it's now being cultivated. Whole forests are being cleared for its production. It is not true that the native people are benefiting from this, either. They are, in fact, becoming indentured servants while the corporations are becoming obscenely rich off this stuff.

Sorry this is such a long post, but this is a problem that we are all part of and the solution must come from us. There is now a group that is touting 'sustainable' palm oil production (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil). According to both the World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace, this group is nothing more than a public relations front for the corporations profiting from this trade.

What's nice about this group (RSPO) is that they are very open about the problem and all the issues within it. This is in an effort to convince the public that they are the 'good guys'. To that end, they have a handy-dandy list of companies that use 'sustainable' palm oil. Very revealing and everyone should take a look at it. It's almost certain that companies you buy from are on the list.

Here's a link for that.... http://www.cmzoo.org/docs/palmOilSho...-March2011.pdf

I'm including more links to help with understanding the scope and impact of palm oil on the Orangutan (and all the other animals within that habitat). Please take some time to acquaint yourself with this issue and to understand the dire need for action now. There's even a link about the RSPO so you may decide for yourself if they are the good guys they tout themselves to be or not.

Animals Evolved orangutans

International Animal Rescue - News - Our team witnesses unspeakable cruelty towards orangutans in Borneo

THE IMPACT OF OIL PALM IN BORNEO

Palm Oil | Rainforest Action Network

Palm Oil Crisis

For cheap palm oil, we are causing this...

[Wylie's Mom]

We are losing so many animals now to extinction. It's just unacceptable. It's not okay for humans to victimize any/all creatures to satisfy their own wants; palm oil and other products that are cruel to animals are rarely *needs*.

Didn't we use to have a thread regarding some recommendations for cruelty-free products? I will try to look for it.

[Woogie Man]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

We are losing so many animals now to extinction. It's just unacceptable. It's not okay for humans to victimize any/all creatures to satisfy their own wants; palm oil and other products that are cruel to animals are rarely *needs*.

Didn't we use to have a thread regarding some recommendations for cruelty-free products? I will try to look for it.

I did look on the web for such a list, but only found a couple and they were from the U.K. and Australia. Not sure how much benefit that would be to most.

I posted this thread because it seems so senseless to use this oil in light of the way it's being grown. On this one, I think we all have the power to make a difference with our shopping choices and maybe putting a little pressure on some of these companies. I didn't put it here to just make folks feel bad...that's would be pointless.

I hope that anyone reading this would just open the first link and review the companies and products, then decide what to do from there. You may want to just quit buying these things or make a little noise to the company.

Really, the food products are all prepared foods and snacks. Buying raw, unprepared food bypasses the palm oil thing. I don't know about the cosmetics but, with the soaps and lotions, what you want to look for is glycerin as it is derived from palm oil.

As I said in my original post, this is something that is completely un-necessary and something we can all help to bring an end to.

[BonBon]

Originally Posted by Woogie Man

I did look on the web for such a list, but only found a couple and they were from the U.K. and Australia. Not sure how much benefit that would be to most.

I posted this thread because it seems so senseless to use this oil in light of the way it's being grown. On this one, I think we all have the power to make a difference with our shopping choices and maybe putting a little pressure on some of these companies. I didn't put it here to just make folks feel bad...that's would be pointless.

I hope that anyone reading this would just open the first link and review the companies and products, then decide what to do from there. You may want to just quit buying these things or make a little noise to the company.

Really, the food products are all prepared foods and snacks. Buying raw, unprepared food bypasses the palm oil thing. I don't know about the cosmetics but, with the soaps and lotions, what you want to look for is glycerin as it is derived from palm oil.

As I said in my original post, this is something that is completely un-necessary and something we can all help to bring an end to.

I just wanted to highlight this paragraph, as I was thinking in the back of my mind "I don't use palm oil for anything." Now I know better and I'm off to read your links. I had no idea this was happening but I want to see what I can do to help stop it. Those pictures were heartbreaking...

[Woogie Man]

Originally Posted by BonBon

I just wanted to highlight this paragraph, as I was thinking in the back of my mind "I don't use palm oil for anything." Now I know better and I'm off to read your links. I had no idea this was happening but I want to see what I can do to help stop it. Those pictures were heartbreaking...

Thanks for reading, Bonny!! It is really hard these days to escape this stuff. The fact is that it is a cheap oil and companies use it because....well, because it's a cheap oil! Using it helps the bottom line and I guess they've decided that we can't tell the difference or just don't care.

BTW, fully 85% of palm oil comes from Indonesia. These companies have found the perfect place to exploit....an undeveloped poor nation that can easily be had on the cheap. This palm could be grown in many other places but isn't. It's a cheap oil already and being able to exploit a poor nation only makes it cheaper. This is the face of our 'global economy'.

[BonBon]

Originally Posted by Woogie Man

Thanks for reading, Bonny!! It is really hard these days to escape this stuff. The fact is that it is a cheap oil and companies use it because....well, because it's a cheap oil! Using it helps the bottom line and I guess they've decided that we can't tell the difference or just don't care.

BTW, fully 85% of palm oil comes from Indonesia. These companies have found the perfect place to exploit....an undeveloped poor nation that can easily be had on the cheap. This palm could be grown in many other places but isn't. It's a cheap oil already and being able to exploit a poor nation only makes it cheaper. This is the face of our 'global economy'.

I haven't been able to read all your links yet, so I focused on the RSPO's explanation of themselves and the list of their supporting companies/products, because I figure this is the are I can make the most impact in.

I'm not buying in to RSPO, but I would like to see a more complete list of other companies/products/foods containing palm oil that aren't associated with them. If I'm going to seriously consider switching so many items I use regularly, I want to make sure the switch is to something that does NOT contain palm oil. Otherwise, the effort is meaningless.

Your avitar pic brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. I wish we could make it larger to show the ropes, etc. in more detail.

[BonBon]

Originally Posted by Woogie Man

For cheap palm oil, we are causing this...

Where were these pictures taken? Who are the people behind the fence barrier almly watching these poor creatures shackeled in ropes? Are they Indonesians?

[Jennxling]

This makes me soooo sad!!! It makes me feel so hopeless of the future...why can't people see that we need to appreciate and love other animals and not kill them for their fins, intestines, fur, etc.

[BonBon]

Originally Posted by Jennxling

This makes me soooo sad!!! It makes me feel so hopeless of the future...why can't people see that we need to appreciate and love other animals and not kill them for their fins, intestines, fur, etc.

In this case they aren't technically killing the oragutans. They're destroying their habitat - the rain forest - in order to put in more and more lucrative oil-palm plantations.

One of the articles Jim linked states that "Several studies have found a significant reduction (on the order of 80 percent for plants and 80-90 percent for mammals, birds, and reptiles) in biological diversity following forest conversion to oil palm plantation." So it's by no means only orangutans being affected by this.

[Woogie Man]

Originally Posted by BonBon

Where were these pictures taken? Who are the people behind the fence barrier almly watching these poor creatures shackeled in ropes? Are they Indonesians?

These pics are of a Mother and her baby. There was a male there, too, but he was run off. They had wandered onto a plantation (which had been their habitat) in search of food.

The Mother was beaten severely before being tied up. As you can see, her baby is clinging to her...scared to death, and Mom is doing her best to comfort him.

Rescuers did come upon the scene but it was too late for the Mom. She died from her injuries, leaving the baby as an orphan. Orphan orangutans are a huge problem now due to the palm oil plantations.

Yes, this happened in Indonesia. The farmers are horribly cruel to the orangutans in an effort to protect their crop (palm plants).

I'll try to reply to your other post later. I have to leave for a while. Thank you so much for taking an interest in this.

Jim

[Jennxling]

Originally Posted by BonBon

In this case they aren't technically killing the oragutans. They're destroying their habitat - the rain forest - in order to put in more and more lucrative oil-palm plantations.

One of the articles Jim linked states that "Several studies have found a significant reduction (on the order of 80 percent for plants and 80-90 percent for mammals, birds, and reptiles) in biological diversity following forest conversion to oil palm plantation." So it's by no means only orangutans being affected by this.

Similar case with polar bears. It makes me so sad to think about what they are going through and that they may be extinct...because of humans!

[BonBon]

Originally Posted by Woogie Man

These pics are of a Mother and her baby. There was a male there, too, but he was run off. They had wandered onto a plantation (which had been their habitat) in search of food.

The Mother was beaten severely before being tied up. As you can see, her baby is clinging to her...scared to death, and Mom is doing her best to comfort him.

Rescuers did come upon the scene but it was too late for the Mom. She died from her injuries, leaving the baby as an orphan. Orphan orangutans are a huge problem now due to the palm oil plantations.

Yes, this happened in Indonesia. The farmers are horribly cruel to the orangutans in an effort to protect their crop (palm plants).

I'll try to reply to your other post later. I have to leave for a while. Thank you so much for taking an interest in this.

Jim

I almost wish I hadn't asked. I knew something was wrong with her from the pictures, but I figured she'd been drugged not beaten to death.

[Woogie Man]

Originally Posted by BonBon

I haven't been able to read all your links yet, so I focused on the RSPO's explanation of themselves and the list of their supporting companies/products, because I figure this is the are I can make the most impact in.

I'm not buying in to RSPO, but I would like to see a more complete list of other companies/products/foods containing palm oil that aren't associated with them. If I'm going to seriously consider switching so many items I use regularly, I want to make sure the switch is to something that does NOT contain palm oil. Otherwise, the effort is meaningless.

Your avitar pic brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. I wish we could make it larger to show the ropes, etc. in more detail.

Bonny, here's a link with a list of products/companies, along with ways to detect palm oil whether it is labeled as such or not.

SAY NO TO PALM OIL

As you can tell from this list and the other I posted, it's very hard to avoid this stuff. It's almost like trying to shop without buying anything made in China.

Recently, our microwave broke and I decided to not replace it. It's probably one of the best decisions I've made lately. It has forced us to quit buying many processed, ready-to-eat foods. We are eating better and avoiding palm oil to a large degree. I can't say that I've eliminated it, though. I am still having to weed out some things, mostly non-food items. Researching this thread has given me more awareness that I now need to act on.

Generally speaking, avoiding processed foods will keep you away from palm oil. It's even in some minimally processed things so you have to watch out with most anything. We tend to buy fresh foods and buy frozen when fresh is not available.We use butter instead of margarine. I could go on but you get the picture. It really comes down to reading labels and knowing how to interpret them, much like we do for dog food.

I really don't buy into the RSPO, either. It's not responsible to say it's 'sustainable' if all you mean is that you're not cutting virgin forests for planting. The damage has been done, it is ongoing and the only repair is restoration of these lands. It's kind of like if Andrew Hunte acknowledged the problems with puppy mills but said "trust me, we are breeding responsibly...buy a pup from one of our certified breeders". Yeah, right.

Sorry if the list isn't truly complete. Basically, though, many companies are jumping onto the RSPO bandwagon, so a high percentage of products are listed with them. You can apply the other info (how to identify palm oil) to any product, whether it's on the list or not.

About my avatar pic: I figured it might bring a little more awareness. So few people visit 'down here' so it's something that's out there, no matter where I post. Anyone care to join me on this? After all, every picture tells a story.

[Woogie Man]

Originally Posted by BonBon

I almost wish I hadn't asked. I knew something was wrong with her from the pictures, but I figured she'd been drugged not beaten to death.

Oh, Bonny, I just want to say "Bless You" to you and everyone that has the courage to confront these issues and make yourself aware. This thread is one that I've struggled with for weeks before posting. It's very painful to me, too, but *so* very important.

Like I said earlier, this is one thing we can ALL do a little something about. If nothing else, it plants a seed of awareness.

Here's a quote that I like...it helps keep me motivated in the face of all this.

"The Mightiest Oak Is Just A Little Nut That Wouldn't Give Up"

[Woogie Man]

...Found a couple of links on sustainable palm oil, FWIW. Just a bunch of doublespeak to me that I'm not buying. The first one is a PDF from the RSPO's second meeting defining sustainable palm oil. It's a quick read...check it out.

http://www.rspo.org/files/pdf/RT2/Pr...chnical%29.pdf

The second one is the statutes, by-laws and code of conduct for RSPO members....more gobbledy-gook.

RSPO Statutes, By-Laws and Code of Conduct | Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)

Pretty dis-ingenuous for the very ones that caused the problem to admit there's a problem once they're fully entrenched. They've already raped the land and got everyone world-wide using this stuff and now want to make sure it's all certified 'sustainable'. What they're really saying is that we've destroyed enough land to fuel our industry so time now to back off and act proper. Too bad about the people, orangutans, tigers and others, by the way.