SCANDALOUS AND SAD FACTS ABOUT PALM OIL
Added on: 27th Nov 2016
CLEARING JUST ONE HECTARE OF PEAT FOREST
CAN RELEASE UP TO 6,000 TONS OF CARBON
DIOXIDE. INDONESIA HAS ALREADY CLEARED OVER
10 MILLION HECTARES OF THESE FORESTS
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY PALM OIL IS SO MASSIVELY
FARMED IS BECAUSE IT PRODUCES UP TO 10 TIMES
MORE OIL PER UNIT AREA THAN SOYA BEANS,
RAPESEED OR SUNFLOWERS
GIVEN THE RATE OF DEFORESTATION IN THE PAST
YEARS, NEW ESTIMATES SUGGEST THAT 98% OF
INDONESIAN AND MALAYSIAN RAINFORESTS MAY
BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY 2022
NUMEROUS ANIMAL SPECIES HAVE BEEN FACING
EXTINCTION DUE TO THE MASSIVE CONVERSION OF
FORESTS INTO PALM PLANTATIONS INCLUDING
THE PYGMY ELEPHANT, SUMATRAN TIGER, ASIAN
RHINOCEROS, SUN BEAR, CLOUDED LEOPARD,
MALAYAN TAPIR, PROBOSCIS MONKEY,
GIBBON AND MANY MORE
HOWEVER, IT IS THE SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN
THAT HAS BECOME THE SYMBOL OF THE
GRUESOME CONSEQUENCES OF THE
UNSUSTAINABLE PALM OIL PRODUCTION.
OVER 50 ORANGUTANS ARE KILLED EVERY
WEEK DUE TO DEFORESTATION. THEIR HOMES
ARE BULLDOZED AND THEY ARE LEFT TO
STARVE TO DEATH
DEFORESTATION ALSO MAKES THE ORANGUTANS
MORE VULNERABLE TO POACHERS. THEY ARE
OFTEN RUN OVER BY EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT,
DOUSED IN PETROL AND BURNT ALIVE, CAPTURED,
TORTURED, BEATEN, SHOT OR SLAUGHTERED
AS THEY ARE CONSIDERED A PEST BY THE OIL
PALM COMPANIES. IN 2006 ALONE, FOR EXAMPLE,
AT LEAST 1,500 ORANGUTANS WERE CLUBBED TO
DEATH BY PALM WORKERS
CURRENTLY, A THIRD OF ALL MAMMAL SPECIES
IN INDONESIA ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CRITICALLY
ENDANGERED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE
DEVELOPMENT THAT IS RAPIDLY ENCROACHING
ON THEIR HABITAT
THE PALM OIL INDUSTRY IS ALSO LINKED TO MAJOR
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, INCLUDING CHILD
LABOUR IN REMOTE AREAS OF INDONESIA AND
MALAYSIA. CHILDREN ARE MADE TO CARRY
LARGE LOADS OF HEAVY FRUIT, WEED FIELDS
AND SPEND LONG HOURS BENT OVER COLLECTING
FRUIT FROM THE PLANTATION FLOOR
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