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

Once a Week, Leave Out the Meat!

Meatless Mondays: An International Conservation Movement

It is not easy to give up any of life’s tasty pleasures. Whether it entails foregoing chocolate during Lent, fasting every year for Yom Kippur, or rolling from one diet to the next, most of us have some experience with self-deprivation in the food realm. People do it for a variety of reasons: religious, spiritual, ethical, or health-related. As more and more people begin to appreciate the dire consequences of global warming, however, a new reason has emerged: environmental protection.

For me, both fasting and extreme dieting sound like torture, as they do for most Americans. Yet I firmly believe that it is easy for all of us to eat delicious, nutritious, and thoroughly enjoyable meals while simultaneously reducing our carbon footprint. One simple way to do this is to join Meatless Mondays, an international movement to go vegetarian one day a week. Even the most avidly carnivorous humans tend to enjoy a variety of plant foods in their diet, so why not take one day a week to celebrate the greens on our plate? Instead of eating chicken wings or steak on Monday night, make a large bowl of pasta, liberally douse it with pesto, and sprinkle in some toasted pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. Or you could cook up a large bowl of vegetarian chili and enjoy it with warm cornbread and cheddar cheese. Going meatless doesn’t have to be a chore. Instead, think of it as a way to be creative with your food and explore new cuisines and diverse ingredients. Cutting out meat will only increase the variety of dishes and flavors you are exposed to.

If my tantalizing menu descriptions have not yet convinced you, consider this: livestock production accounts for nearly one fifth of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. That means that hamburgers and hot dogs along with every other meat product are contributing more to global warming than all the planes, cars, trucks, and motorcycles in the world. Feedlots require inordinate amounts of fossil fuels and fresh water, release methane and carbon dioxide, pollute nearby rivers and lakes, and dramatically decrease species diversity. Here are some relevant statistics:

• Every calorie of beef produced in the US requires 40 calories of fossil fuel energy. Every calorie of plant protein requires just 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy.
• If every American joined the Meatless Mondays campaign for a single year, we would save 12 billion gallons of gasoline.
• 30% of all land in the world is being used to raise livestock. 70% of the Amazon rain forest has been cut down and turned into pastures.
• Livestock production is the single greatest contributor to water pollution.
• 2,000 gallons of water is used to produce a single pound of beef.
• In terms of water consumption, eating one hamburger is equivalent to showering for four hours straight.

Now that I have adequately scared you into submission, go to www.meatlessmonday.com to join the movement. Individuals, organizations, school districts, colleges, and even entire cities have pledged to this great cause. Remember, Meatless Mondays is not meant to be a tortuous trial. It is a celebration of the variety of healthy, delicious, local, and sustainable foods available all around us. Every Monday as you enjoy your portabella mushroom panini or pad thai with sautéed tofu, you can feel proud to be part of this global effort to protect our limited resources and our increasingly fragile planet.

~Sara

Of Food and Filmmaking

Food Sustainability Takes Over the Cinema

In this cold and rainy season, there is no better way to spend an evening than to sit back with some organic popcorn and enjoy a good movie. I know I am supposed to be dishing out advice on food, not films, but I figure no one would mind hearing about the new best hits in environmental cinema. The truth is, there has been a recent surge in food sustainability documentaries that most definitely merits a place on this blog. Here are some of my favorites.

Perhaps the most popular film in this arena is Food, Inc., released in June last year and featuring many well-known food sustainability stars, such as UC Berkeley’s own Michael Pollan. In Food, Inc., director Robert Kenner exposes many hidden truths of the American food industry in a tour from industrial feedlot to supermarket to fast food joint. Experts such as Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, also share their views and insights into the world of Agriculture and sustainability. The film also takes on a more personal approach by interviewing a poor family that cannot afford healthy produce, and a woman who has been fighting for new food safety regulations ever since her son died of food poisoning years ago.

Another environmental documentary released recently was Meat the Truth, the work of Marianne Thieme. This film is an effort to showcase the role that livestock farming has on global warming. Thieme did extensive research into the levels of greenhouse gases emitted by American feedlots. Among other statistics, she claims that if all Americans gave up meat for just one day a week it would be equivalent to taking nearly 20 million cars off the road for a full year. Most people see transportation, large industries, and household appliances as the major contributors to global warming, but Meat the Truth exposes how large a part meat production plays as well.

For a healthy shot of inspiration, join the Fresh movement by attending a screening near you. Ana Jones created Fresh as a documentary highlighting the many positive efforts that are currently being taken to clean up the food industry and reduce our country’s carbon footprint through sustainable agriculture. Joanes interviews farmers, grocery store owners, activists, and others who have fought the increasing industrialization of the US food system. These ordinary heroes have come up with sustainable alternatives to the average food choices that are healthier, safer, and lead to less pollution and environmental degradation.

Finally, for all of you Bay Area folks who want to see a change here at home, stay tuned for the upcoming documentary Edible City. This inspiring movie showcases San Francisco’s very own pioneers in urban farming. Yes, it is possible to grow your own vegetables in a major city. It is possible to raise chickens and goats and sell fresh produce to your neighbors. Edible City provides a glimpse of what is hopefully just the beginning of a powerful new movement towards local food and urban farming.

~Sara