COMMENT | In Borneo and Sumatra, orangutans have been nesting in the tops of trees for millions of years. As the orangutan cracks and breaks the branches, sunspots are created that tickle the forest floor and encourage young bushes to grow. In this way, the forest regenerates and plays a role in the fight against global climate change.
In this beautiful place, where some trees are so special that their seeds can only germinate if an orangutan passes through its stomach, it is surprising 20,000 species of flowering plants, 3,000 species of trees, and 300,000 species of animals can be found, according to Say No To Palm Oil, on this website.
This unique life course was interrupted, in a horrible way, because of the growing desire for palm oil.
Palm oil, which comes from the fruit of the African palm tree, has become a favorite of both the paint and food a> industries. .
In fact, worldwide demand for palm oil has more than doubled as food consumption skyrocketed, according to this article by Marc Gunther.
For a list of food and personal care products that contain palm oil and how you can avoid them, click here.
But is palm oil good for you? If you believe industry executives and well-funded scientists, you probably think so. After all, palm oil is not fat, right? No, it’s not fat, but it’s not good for you.
In 1997, British researchers concluded that palmitic acid, which is contained in palm oil, raises blood cholesterol. To learn more about the health benefits of palm oil, click here.
Despite palm oil’s negative health effects, demand is booming.
More than 90 percent of the orangutan’s habitat was destroyed by chains, bulldozers and bonfires. An area the size of 300 feet of land in Borneo and Sumatra is cleared every hour, according to Palm Oil No.
A hundred years ago there were 315,000 orangutans living in Sumatra. That number has plummeted to less than 7,000, according to the Sumatran Orangutan Society.
Sumatran orangutans are disappearing at such a rapid pace that they will be extinct within 50 years SOS reports. This tragedy is compounded by the fact that the orangutan is often shot in the oil palm fields.
The great apes were the only creatures that suffered.
The Sumatran Rhinoceros, Asiatic Rhinoceros, Pygmy Elephant, Sun Bear, Clouded Leopard, Proboscis Monkey, and Sumatran Tiger have also been severely impacted, to say nothing of Palm Oil.
Because of this rampant deforestation and the burning that is associated with it, Indonesia has the third highest greenhouse gas emissions in the world, Gunther reported.
Annual fires in Sumatra and Borneo affect human activities as far north as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, grounding airplanes, slowing business and causing respiratory problems. said Michelle Desilets, Executive Director of Orangutan Land.
It should also be noted that animals in the path of burning are endangered and affected by the huge smoke cloud that blankets the region.
“Unsustainable palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia now represents one of the biggest threats to the orangutan,” said Desilets.
Ninety percent of the orphaned children at the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation’s Nyaru Menteng Project come from palm areas, he said. BOS runs the project, which developed a concept developed by Desilets and his best friend Lone Droscher Nielsen.
The organization estimates that there are between 30,000-40,000 orangutans left in Borneo.
“Several hundred orangutans have been rescued from certain death in oil palm plantations elsewhere,” he said. Most of them were placed elsewhere in the safe forests. The Orangutan Land Trust, based in Derby, UK, supports BOS and all three organizations work together.
Desilets works to find projects that benefit orangutan relief projects, coordinates partnerships in projects, seeks sources of funding, and fights to end the unnecessary production of palm oil. She also undertakes trips several times a year and cares for orphans.
By following these simple steps, improve your health and improve the lives of rainforest creatures.
For more information, contact the Earth Orangutan Trust here.
