The rise in the use of biofuels has encouraged the growth of palm oil production. But oil palm plantations have negative environmental impacts on tropical rainforests.
Substituting fossil fuels for transportation with biofuels is just one means of protecting the environment from climate change effects. Palm oil production is surging, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia, to satisfy this need. The environmental benefits of using palm oil as an alternative source of energy may be more than offset by the negative environmental effects such production has on tropical rainforests. A policy brief issued by the OECD in November 2007, entitled “Biofuels for Transport: Policies and Possibilities” addressed this problem when it stated, “This is already becoming an issue in certain countries in South-East Asia where the expansion of palm oil plantations largely comes at the expense of existing forest area and biodiversity”.
Palm Oil and Deforestation
Besides being havens of biodiversity, the world’s tropical rainforests are the Earth’s largest terrestrial carbon sinks. The production of palm oil, both as a food item and feedstock for biofuel plays a large part in the destruction of these wonderful environmental assets.
Christy Nellemann, author of The Last Stand of the Orangutan, published by the United Nations Environment Programme in February 2007 says, “A scenario released by UNEP in 2002 suggested that most natural rainforest in Indonesia would be degraded by 2032. Given the rate of deforestation in the past five years, and recent widespread investment in oil palm plantations and biodiesel refineries, this may have been optimistic”.
Forests First in the Fight Against Climate Change, by Andrew W. Mitchell and published by the Global Canopy Program in May 2007 states, “Deforestation is largely caused by billion dollar agribusiness expansion driven by western demands for cheap palm oil (75% of world supply comes from Indonesia and Malaysia)”.
Cruel Oil, by Ellie Brown and published by The Center for Science in the Public Interest in May 2005 predicts, “At this rate, virtually all Indonesian lowland tropical forests—which are the richest in plant and animal species—will be gone by 2010. A leading cause of this deforestation has been clearance for oil palm and timber”.
Environmental Effects of Palm Oil Deforestation
Deforestation in south east Asia, caused by the surge in oil palm plantations have multiple environmental implications, from global warming to biodiversity loss.
The Oil for Ape Scandal, by Helen Buckland and published by Friends of the Earth in 2007 quotes Professor Biruté Galdikas, Orangutan Foundation International, as saying, “The orangutan is endangered because of habitat loss. Today the greatest threat to orangutan habitat is the continued expansion of oil-palm plantations. Palm oil is the greatest enemy of orangutan and their continued survival in the wild."
In Greasy Palms, published by Friends of the Earth in 2005, the author E. Wakker says, “The original habitat in most areas suitable for oil palm is lowland evergreen tropical rainforest. These forests support the highest biodiversity of any terrestrial ecosystem, with those of equatorial Southeast Asia among the richest”.
Deforestation caused by palm oil plantations can add to global warming. The Living Planet Report 2008, edited by Chris Hails and published by the World Wildlife Fund says that, “Yet recent research has shown that converting tropical forests, peatlands, savannahs or grasslands to biofuels based on food crops can generate 17 to 420 times the annual carbon emissions supposed to be saved as the biofuels replace fossil fuels”.
In Sustainability Standards for Bioenergy, written by Imke Lübbeke and published by WWF – Germany the author states “The creation of oil plantations in Malaysia is regarded as the main cause of the air pollution that has been affecting many neighboring counties in Southeast Asia” .
The copyright of the article Palm Oil Growth Damages Rainforest Environment in Reforestation is owned by Laurence O'Sullivan. Permission to republish Palm Oil Growth Damages Rainforest Environment in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
My name is Richard Zimmerman and I run a non-profit
organization called Orangutan Outreach. I found your blog while searching
for 'palm oil' and felt compelled to add my two cents worth...
The palm oil industry is guilty of the most heinous ecological atrocities
imaginable, including the systematic genocide of orangutans. The forests of
Borneo and Sumatra are the only place where these gentle, intelligent
creatures live, and the cultivation of palm oil has directly led to the
brutal deaths of thousands of individuals as the industry has expanded into
previously undisturbed areas of rainforest.
When the forest is
cleared, adult orangutans are typically shot on sight. These peaceful,
sentient beings are beaten, burned, mutilated, tortured and often eaten.
Babies are torn off their dying mothers so they can be sold on the black
market as illegal pets to wealthy families who see them as status symbols
of their own power and prestige. Please understand that I am not trying to
be overly dramatic. This actually happens. It has been documented time and
again.
Some of the luckier orangutans are confiscated and
brought to sanctuaries such as the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue Center,
which is now home to nearly 700 orphaned and displaced orangutans in
Central Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Many of these orangutans are only
several weeks old when they arrive, and all of them are psychologically
traumatized and desperate for their mothers-- who are no longer alive.
Nyaru Menteng is managed by the Borneo Orangutan Survival
Foundation and run by a remarkable woman named Lone Droscher Nielsen. It is
featured on Animal Planet's series 'Orangutan Island' as well as on the
BBC's 'Orangutan Diary'.
To learn more about the crisis facing
wild orangutans because of palm oil and see how you can help protect them,
please visit the Orangutan Outreach website: http://redapes.org
Thank you for taking the time to read my long comment!
Best
wishes,
Richard Zimmerman Director, Orangutan Outreach http://redapes.org Reach out and save the orangutans! Join our
Facebook Cause: http://causes.com/redapes
Mar 26, 2009 5:57 PM
Guest :
Hi, Laurence. Very interesting post you’ve made, and I appreciate the
citations you’ve provided – I’ll be perusing them toute suite. I can’t say
I agree with your overall position, but you’ve stated your highly-informed
stand in an intelligent, systematic and articulate way that sets the bar
for other bloggers who often rely on hysterical statements (see Zimmerman
above) and shoddy information to make their point. It is for this reason,
however, that I take issue with your punchy, closing paragraph, in which
you say that there is “no doubt” that “rampant oil palm (cultivation)” is
adding to global warming and exacerbating rainforest deforestation. The
fact of the matter is, there is a lot of evidence to the contrary –
particularly in Malaysia, the world’s second largest palm oil producer –
and therefore, DOUBT over these claims. I cite sources of my own in making
this statement – www.palmoilconsumer.com has lots of articles commenting on
scientific research which shows that, far from being destructive towards
the environment, palm oil plantations may be actually helping the planet.
(Take this however you want, but make sure to read the articles of the site
before you do). Anyhow, thanks for letting me comment. Keep
blogging!
Mar 15, 2009
