A Solution for the Palm Oil Problem

In past week's on All Natural we have looked at the issue of Palm Oil. Australia sources a lot of it's Palm Oil from Indonesia, where forest are destroyed for Palm Oil plantations. This leads to the destruction of the habitats to Orang-utans, Tigers and many other beautiful creatures. Palm Oil is used in many food and beauty products found in Australia. At this point in time clear labelling is not required. This makes it near impossible for Australian's to make educated choices when shopping.

Jonathan Larkin of WWF talks about the development of sustainable Palm Oil and a bill introduced into the Senate to ensure correct labelling in Australia. Click here to listen.

For more information, please visit http://www.wwf.org.au/

What you Eat could be Killing Orang utans

Palm Oil is found in many food and beauty products. Unfortunately the majority of Palm Oil comes from Indonesia, making it now the leading supplier for a global market that demands more of the tree's versatile oil for cooking, cosmetics, and biofuel. But palm oil's appeal comes with significant costs. Oil palm plantations often replace tropical forests, killing endangered species, uprooting local communities, and contributing to the release of climate-warming gases. Due mostly to oil palm production, Indonesia emits more greenhouse gases than any country besides China and the United States.

In Borneo and Sumatra as logging and palm oil plantations continue to rapidly destroy the habitat of the Orang Utan. The rate of deforestation and habitat loss is so great that some scientists are predicting that the orangutan will be the first Great Ape to become extinct in modern times.

Click here as Rachel Lawry from Zoos Victoria discusses the effect of Palm Oil plantations on the future of Orang Utans.

The below video gives information about the Global Warming effects of Palm Oil production in Indonesia.


Click here to ensure you are buying products that are free of Palm Oil.

Please visit www.zoo.org.au to find out what more you can do.

Siamang Gibbons, Orang utans & Palm Oil

The Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) is a tailless, arboreal, black furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the Siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 23 kg.

The Siamang is distinctive for two reasons. The first is that two fingers on each hand are fused together. The second is the large "gular sac" (found in both male and female of the species), which is a throat pouch that can be inflated to the size of its head, allowing the Siamang to make loud resonating calls or songs. Male and female couples will often call in duet.

While the illegal pet trade takes a toll on wild populations, the principal threat to the Siamang is habitat loss in both Malaysia and Sumatra. Palm oil production is clearing large swathes of forest, reducing the habitat of the Siamang, along with that of other species such as the Orang utan and Sumatran Tiger.

Click here to listen to my interview with Fleur Butcher of Melbourne Zoo about the Siamang Gibbon and the distruction of their habitat.

For more information on Melbourne Zoo, please vist http://www.zoo.org.au/

Orang-Utans vs. Palm Oil

Palm oil costs the lives of about
50 orangutans every week and
its cultivation is a major cause of global warming.

Palm Oil Production could be doubled by using already felled land rather than taking more habitat down. However that will take political commitment and action (ie monitoring and protection of the forests and consequences for logging) at a central and local government level. And that becomes a much more complicated discussion!
Here are some quick facts about Palm Oil:

1. Palm oil is an edible plant oil derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree.


2. Palm Oil is in 1 in 10 supermarket products.


3. The Orang-utan is set to become extinct in the wild in less than a decade, this is predominantly due to habitat loss which is cased by Palm Oil production.


4. 70% of Palm Oils is used in food products.


5. Palm Oil is used to make some BioDiesels... so called Green fuels. Ironically the effect of the Palm oil explosion is set to do more harm to the environment through deforestation than the use of BioFuel will offset!


6. To fuel global demand for Palm Oil, Greenpeace estimates an area of pristine Rainforest, equivalent to 300 football fields, is destroyed every hour.


7. Deforestation, mainly in tropical areas, account for up to one-third of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions.


8. The World Health Organization (WHO) states there is convincing evidence that palmitic oil consumption contributes to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Research in the US and Europe support th e WHO report.
   

Click here to hear to full interview with Rebecca King from Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS)

For more information visit the following sites:

http://www.orangutans.com.au/

http://www.palmoilaction.org.au/

BOS are holding a Cocktail Party to raise funds. The event is on 10th November at Soulmama at the St Kilda Sea Baths (10-18 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda ). Includes fingerfood, beer, wine and soft drinks from 7-10pm. To purchase tickets call Sue: 0408 944 183 or purchase on line at http://www.orangutans.com.au/. No door sales.

Welcome To All Natural

One thing I am passionate about is giving a voice to those who don't have one....that's right the animals. It is with great pleasure that I present to you a show devoted to animal and environmental conservation as well as ways to live in harmony with nature.

You can hear me on Melbourne's JOY 94.9 each Thursday Morning 9am till 12 noon AEST.

Here are some of my earlier interviews:

Terri Irwin

Spiders with Patrick Honan

The Coral Sea with Lydia Gibson (WWF)

Frogs with Raelene Hobbs

Tasmainian Devils with Tiffany Eastley

Orang Utan with Fleur Butcher

Elephants with Dan Maloney

Rothchild Giraffe with Curtis

Lady Tamara von Forslun, Wiccan High Priestess

Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo with Ditar Uka