COMMENTARY | In Borneo and Sumatra, orangutans have been making nests in the tops of trees for millions of years. As an orangutan rustles and breaks the branches, patches of sunlight are created that tickle the forest floor and encourage young saplings to grow. In this way, the forest regenerates and serves as a warrior in the fight against global climate change.
In this beautiful place, where some trees are so specialized that their seeds can only germinate if passed through the gut of an orangutan, an astounding 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, at this link.
This unique cycle of life has been interrupted, in a horrifying way, because of increasing worldwide desire for palm oil.
Palm oil, which comes from the fruit of the African oil palm, has become the darling of both the cosmetics industry and the food industry.
In fact, the worldwide demand for palm oil has more than doubled as food consumption has skyrocketed, according to this article by Marc Gunther.
For a list of foods and personal care products containing palm oil and how you can avoid them, click here.
But palm oil is good for you, right? If you believe industry executives and their well-funded scientists, you’d probably think so. After all, palm oil isn’t a trans-fat, right? No, it’s not a trans-fat, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
In 1997, British researchers concluded that palmitic acid, which is what palm oil is comprised of, raises blood cholesterol levels. To find out more regarding the health effects of palm oil, click here.
Despite palm oil’s negative health effects, demand is burgeoning.
More than 90 percent of the orangutan’s habitat has been sacrificed to the chainsaw, the bulldozer and the bonfire because of this. An area the size of 300 football fields is cleared every hour in Borneo and Sumatra, according to Say No to Palm Oil.
One 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 vanishing at such a rapid pace that they may become extinct within 50 years, SOS reports. This tragedy is compounded by the fact that orangutans traversing palm oil farms are often shot.
These great apes are not the only creatures that have suffered.
The Sumatran Rhinoceros, Asian Rhinoceros, Pygmy Elephant, Sun Bear, Clouded Leopard, Proboscis Monkey, and Sumatran Tiger have also been heavily impacted, according to Say No to Palm Oil.
Because of this rampant deforestation and the burning that is associated with it, Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions are the third highest in the world, Gunther reported.
The 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 the Orangutan Land Trust. “It is estimated that the cost of lost revenue from this is in the billions of dollars annually.”
Desilets also noted that animals in the path of the burning are at risk and may be affected by the huge smoke cloud that cloaks the region.
“The unsustainable production of palm oil in Indonesia and Malaysia now represents the single greatest threat to the orangutan,” Desilets said.
Ninety percent of the young orphans at the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation’s Nyaru Menteng Project come from areas of palm, she said. BOS runs the project, which evolved from a concept developed by Desilets and her 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 otherwise certain death in the palm oil plantations,” she said. Most have been relocated to safe forests elsewhere. The Orangutan Land Trust, based in Derby, UK, supports BOS and all three organizations work together.
Desilets works to find activities that will benefit the projects helping the orangutans, coordinates partnerships for projects, searches for sources of funding, and fights to end unsustainable production of palm oil. She also travels to the projects several times a year and cares for the orphans.
By following these simple steps, you’ll improve your health and the lives of rainforest creatures as well.
For more information, contact The Orangutan Land Trust here.
