This question has been on my mind recently after I came across a story about Orangutans in Indonesia and how they were losing habitat and being burn out because of the expansion of palm trees plantation due to the increase in the demand for palm oil. I know this is not a recent problem or a problem that is connect to only this species, but I can not get the look of trauma they carry on their faces out of my head.
The Tripa peat forest has been called the orangutan capital of the world, however these great apes are under threat by palm oil plantations that gobbling up thousands of acres of native vegetation to grow the trees. This vegetable oil is the most consumed on the planet.
Palm oil is used in everything from cookies and lipstick to paint, shampoo and instant noodles, and Indonesia is the world's top producer. Demand is soars, which results in plantations expanding. In Tripa, companies have and are continuing to drain the swamp, releasing planet-warming carbon into the atmosphere. For companies to clear the forest of its native trees they often employ the tactic of setting illegal fires.
Orangutans and other endangered species are being rob of their natural habitats, leaving the animals marooned on small swaths of forest, boxed-in on all sides by plantations. These animals are starve or they are killed by plantation workers when they emerge from the jungle in search of food. Mothers often die protecting their babies, which are taken and sold as illegal pets.
I will admit that I have used products made of palm oil without a thought for these animals. I have use many product daily without the thought of what was put into get the products. I wish that business could be more ethically, but whether it the sweatshops that use children in Bangladesh and other countries, the failure to pay miner basic compensation for getting black lungs, or the destroying of the natural world, I do think we need to ask our self if it is really worth it. Are we really willing to turn a blind eye to the suffering of our species and others just so we can get easy product? Should we be more aware of a product’s background before we purchase it? Should we rethink consumerism, are we even able to? I wish I have the answers that would solve all these problems, but the only way to solve a problem is to admit that the problem exist in the first place.
I really do hope that a lot of the people that view this article read it and be willing to give their opinions on the topic.
Thank you for reading and commenting.