Until recently I had never really heard much about palm oil… but as soon as I did, everything changed.
More and more, palm oil is commonly being used as an ingredient in everyday products including margarine, shortening, baked foods, cookies, candies and even soaps, candles and personal care products. Its main purpose, aside from its “binding properties”, is to replace trans fat that we’re all trying to avoid, however, there is also a great sacrifice being made through the acceptance of palm oil as our alternative to such things as hydrogenated oil…
… The sacrifice is vast amounts of rainforests and the animals that make the rainforest their home. These forests are being cleared at alarming rates to make way for palm plantations and to keep up with the demand for the product. Malaysia and Indonesia account for 83% of the production and 89% of the export of palm oil. Within these countries the threat is enormous for endangered species including orangutans, tigers, elephants and rhinoceroses. The threat is the greatest for the orangutans, as they live ONLY in these areas that are being cleared to make way for the palm oil plantations. As you can imagine, the occurrence of hunting and poaching these poor animals has dramatically increased as well, and it is estimated that 50 orangutan are being killed each week. At this rate, their existence is limited… and I find that absolutely heartbreaking and unnecessary.
It’s also important to realize that when this deforestation occurs and the rainforests are burned, they release decades of stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to the tragedy of global warming.
Also keep in mind that, though the health effects of palm oil may be a BIT less with palm oil as a substitute, it is NOT a heart-healthy food or adequate hydrogenated oil substitute, like olive, soy or canola oils. It is only a smoke-screen used by manufacturers because it is a cheap substitute and keeps the words “trans fat” off of the content label.
Sadly, the demand for palm oil is expected to double in the next 10 years… IF we continue to support the products that are using this oil as a “new” substitute. This is NOT an option.
When you are shopping, DO NOT PURCHASE products containing palm oil. By NOT buying, and selecting products without palm oil, it speaks loud and clear. It means you will not support this product and the harm and destruction it is creating!
(* Note: the image above shows a palm oil plantation as it butts up to a rainforest that has been cleared for this crop.)
The other day my dear friend, Jenn, contacted me looking for some advice about purchasing 
The post-holiday wrap-up is being wrapped up! So sad to see it all come to an end, but alas… it’s back to the less dreamy and festive real world!
be accepted until February 28, 2010. Just bundle them up and mail them off to:
So, here we go… again. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I don’t cut down trees, don’t like trees being cut down and detest when anyone needlessly DOES cut them down. Unfortunately, we are squarely located between
t so long ago, but seems so long ago.
wrapped up in how vast and amazing the ocean is. The irony is that one of our favorite adventures was trying to find sea glass washed up on the shore. This sea glass is actually glass that has found its way into the ocean and gets tumbled and smoothed by the water, sand and salt. Every time we found one it was like finding a real gem and then I start to wonder what it came from, where it originated, who touched it before us and even how it wound up in the ocean. Yes, ironic that Mom Goes Green and family found treasures in something that started as ocean litter!