According to the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, palm oil, although less harmful than oils containing trans fats, still promotes heart disease. It’s also unhealthy for wildlife. Over 80 percent of the world’s palm oil is produced in former tropical rainforests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, the only habitat of wild orangutans, Sumatran rhinoceroses, pygmy elephants, and an ark’s worth of endangered and endemic species. Between 1985 and 1997, these islands lost 60 percent of their rainforest, contributing to what the ordinarily staid World Bank refers to as “a species extinction spasm of planetary proportions.” Demand for palm oil is forecast to double by 2020, requiring about 3,000 square kilometres of new land every year—in part to support our addiction to junk food.For more of Barry Calhoun’s photos, visit www.barrycalhounphotography.com
Sunday, July 20, 2008Borneo’s Flora, Fauna, Fat
Palm Oil Production in Malaysia
Smoke stacks, palm fruit and factory at palm oil mill in Eastern Sabah. An oil palm plantation is, in effect, a biological desert. Without the rainforest’s variety of foods, most animals cannot survive. The demand for palm oil is forecasted to double by 2020, requiring over 3000 km2 of new land every year for the next thirteen years. Researchers are only beginning to understand the scope of this new crisis, which could spell the end of the natural environments of orangutans, pygmy elephants, sun bears and Sumatran rhinos.
From Brian Payton’s “Fat of the Land”:
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Comments (2 comments)
Peter H Hennessy: My old friend Bill Boquist, a retired educator at Thunder Bay,gave me a piece of everlasting advice — "When you solve a problem you've created a new one". The headlomg rush for more palm oil once again illustrates Bill's wisdom. February 15, 2008 09:05 EST
Paula Jardine: Thanks for risking your life to bring us this story and beautiful pictures. February 22, 2008 00:28 EST