Oil vs. Orangutans: Which Will Survive?

Avoid Palm Oil to Save Precious Rain Forest Ecosystems

In our quest for ever cheaper food and energy sources, humans have repeatedly burned, slashed, bulldozed, and generally terrorized many unique ecosystems, plunging both animal and plant species near the brink of extinction. The newest chapter in this unfortunate saga lies with the recent popularity of palm oil plantations, which are rapidly replacing Indonesian and Malaysian rain forests and the biodiversity that inhabit them. Palm oil was originally marketed as an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum. As a biofuel, it yields enormous quantities of usable energy for relatively small areas of land in comparison with ethanol from corn and soy fields. However, the popularity of palm oil in both the energy and food sectors has led to a mass wipeout of the remaining Indonesian rain forest, which now covers less than half the land it used to.

The animal species that has been most visibly impacted from the recent conversion to oil plantations is the orangutan. As forests are cleared, any orangutans that appear are shot immediately, although if no guns are present, they may be burned, beaten, or stabbed instead. Babies may be captured and sold on the black market as exotic pets and orangutan meat is often eaten as rare bushmeat. Other large animals such as tigers, rhinos, and elephants are also being affected by this loss of habitat as well, and animal-human conflicts are becoming increasingly common. In one year alone, 7 tigers were caught and 6 elephants were poisoned on palm oil plantations.

In addition to decreasing biodiversity through habitat destruction, oil plantations also cause soil erosion, increase air pollution, and release pesticides and herbicides into rivers and lakes. Conversion of peat bogs to plantations even releases 600 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, negating the claim that palm oil use does not contribute to global warming.

Palm oil is also being used more and more in everyday food items. From cookies and crackers to microwave popcorn, thousands of products found in grocery stores throughout the country now contain palm oil. As you could have probably guessed, this is where you come in. By conscientiously avoiding all food items with palm oil in the ingredients list, you may not only save an orangutan’s life, but protect your own health as well. Palm oil was first proposed as a substitute for “evil” partially hydrogenated oils as the dangers of trans fats became increasingly obvious. However, palm oil is composed primarily of saturated fats, which, although not nearly as detrimental as trans fats, are nonetheless linked to increased cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease.

Although the monumental damage that is being done by palm oil plantations may seem like too great a problem for any individual to tackle, rest assured that your role as a consumer does make a difference in the world economy. All you have to do is check the labels of the food products you buy. Read all those ingredients lists and do not buy anything that contains palm oil in it. This simple precaution will most certainly benefit you by both improving your health and making you proud of your role as an environmentally savvy consumer. More importantly still, it will protect the biodiversity of the planet, including one of our closest relatives, the mighty orangutan.

~Sara