Palm Oil and Deforestation

This is a heavy subject that has been much on my mind for some time and long before our trip. Our journeys did not take us through many of the large plantations that have destroyed the vast forests that Indonesia once had. Those forests have been gone for some time in most of the areas we visited. At the same time, this is not an historical event as the destruction continues at a rapid pace elsewhere in Indonesia. There are nearly 100 intentional fires burning now as a way to quickly remove forests and clear the way for these plantations which fuel much of the foods, soap, cosmetics, chemicals, bio-diesel and other industries used by all of us.  The toll that this is taking on native wildlife, especially orang-utans, and over-all biodiversity is both shocking and un-necessary. Still, at the rate things are going this will be yet another disaster that we look back and wonder where we were when this happened. For now, I'm going to become more engaged on this issue now and plan to spend time visiting the "front line" on my next trip.  Here's some background and suggested materials. I'll add more later.

Watch "Green The Film" and educate yourself on the way your activities contribute to this problem.  “Green” is a film about the rainforest of Indonesia and follows a female orang-utan there. It is 48 min long, it is available for free download and copyright free for all non commercial screenings. The film has no narration, it is thus accessible to all nationalities. It was produced independently and free of all commercial or political attachment. Don’t hesitate to screen the film wherever you feel appropriate too.

<4/4/12> In an unfortunate follow-up to this situation, an Indonesian court has thrown out a case rather than put itself in the "awkward" position of hearing how intentional actions could shortly lead to the extinction of the orang-utan in Sumatra. An appeal to a higher court is expected.

Some Facts about Deforestation

Indonesia has one of the world’s worst deforestation rates, averaging at around 2 million hectares a year. In 1950 the forest cover of Indonesia was about 160 million hectares, today less than 48 million hectares are left.

Massive deforestation of Indonesia began in the 1970s with the expansion of the timber industry. Then came the pulp and paper industry followed by the palm oil industry. Today, the major driving force behind Indonesian deforestation comes from the international demand for palm oil to make biofuels. An October 2009 report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that: “95 per cent of the increased production of palm oil in Malaysia and Indonesia was driven by the growing demand for biodiesel”, and that “two-thirds of the current expansion of palm oil cultivation in Indonesia is based on the conversion of rainforests”.

This demand comes essentially from India, Europe and China who are all promoting palm oil biodiesel as tomorrow’s best renewable “green”energy to combat climate change. But reports show that converting forests into oil palm plantations for biofuel actually worsens climate change. Palm oil bio-diesel is not really about combating climate change, it is just about making money. 

Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer in the world and plans to expand its palm oil plantations from the present 7 million hectares to 20 million hectares in the years to come.