So, if you remember my post from two weeks ago, I talked about one way we can halt the destruction caused by the Palm Oil industry, and it all had to do with an app called PalmSmart (if you haven't seen my previous two posts on this subject, I suggest you check them out for context). However, not everyone can participate in this solution, as sometimes products without Palm Oil can be much more expensive than their counterparts, and even unaffordable. So, here are some more ways to combat the Palm Oil industry for those who can't avoid it or want to do even more to help stop it:
Is there hope?
First, before we dive into the solutions, I wanted to address a certain topic that recently came to my attention. When researching this post, I saw that companies and researchers alike have said palm oil is going nowhere, and that there's no real alternative. Now, part of that statement is true. The palm oil industry likely isn't going to disappear, as many families around the world rely on it. But, there is an alternative to palm oil that hasn't been discussed too often. Solazyme, a company based in California, has been able to develop oils out of micro algae that have been used in bio fuel, makeup, and even food products.
And these oils have already been taken into production by varies companies. United Airlines and Navy ships have started to use this fuel to power their vehicles, and the company Unilever (creator of Dove chocolate) announced last year that they would be using three million gallons of this oil instead of the harmful palm oil. So, while we can't expect to fully halt the palm oil industry, we can hope to utilize alternatives and make that industry more sustainable. There is hope for a brighter future!
Spread the word
But, to create this future we need to let people know about it. Spreading the word about palm oil, its effects, and solutions to it like PalmSmart can help people make more conscious decisions and work against it. Because the truth is, not that many people KNOW about palm oil. And if they don't know what it is, how can they help to stop it? However, the most important thing we have to consider when letting others know about this is not to put them down for using palm oil. All too often talking about these issues can often sound preachy and annoying, so it's important to remember that the people you talk to have done nothing wrong. It's also important to remember not to be hypocritical. If you haven't phased out palm oil from your diet, it's probably not the best idea to constantly tell others to do so.
After all, if you don't like someone who is suggesting you do something, what are the chances of you actually doing it? The goal is to let people know about palm oil, not put them down for using it. We're the face of this movement, and it's extremely important to put out a good image.
Write to representatives
Surprisingly, some palm oil is produced in the U.S. too. While it isn't as much as other countries, it's still a good amount, and we need to make sure we are producing it sustainably before we tell other countries to do the same thing (again part of putting out a good image). So, letting your representatives know that you care about palm oil can help to put it in the forefront of government discussions. Additionally, countries trying to clean up the mess palm oil has made need money to do so, and that money often comes from other countries. Letting your representatives know you care can help to make them more likely to give countries the money they need to clean up their production.
But how can you contact your representatives? Well, the way I like to do it is through an app called Countable. Through it, you can easily see who your representatives are and send messages to them quickly. It also provides a host of other features (which I will be talking about in a later post) but mainly it gives a great way to talk directly to your representatives.
Support organizations
And finally, another great way to combat the palm oil industry is to support organizations that work against it. This can be done with money or time (depending on your situation) and it really does help to solve this problem. Many of these organizations are on the front lines of the battle against palm oil, and they need our support to win the fight. They advocate, research, inform, and empower others to take a stand for what they believe in, and that I believe deserve to be supported. So, here are a few organizations you can donate your money or time to that will help to stop the production of palm oil:
World Wildlife Fund: https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/palm-oil
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: https://www.rspo.org/about
Orangutan Conservancy: http://www.orangutan.net/
Palm Oil Action: http://palmoilaction.org.au/
And these are just a few of the many organizations out there. If you would like to learn about more, click here to go to One Green Planet, a great website with an awesome article on this subject (they also have a lot of other great articles too).
Conclusion
Ultimately, a lot of these solutions have a lot to do with talking and not a lot of doing, which I personally don't like. Unfortunately, because this problem takes place largely on the other side of the globe, unless you decide to join an organization there is not much in terms of action we can do to combat it. The BEST way to halt the industry is to just not buy products with palm oil, but as I mentioned before it's not always possible to do that.
At the very least, it's extremely important that we do not let this problem be forgotten. It threatens our Earth, and it threatens us. We need to make sure that companies are held accountable for their actions, and that they are no longer allowed to abuse the land they have for so many years. It has never been a better time to fight palm oil, and even though there are not a ton of things we can do (aside from not purchasing it), we can still have an impact. Together we can make a brighter future, and one without the use of palm oil.
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/organizations-fighting-deforestation-caused-by-palm-oil/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/palm-oil
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/the-problem-with-palm-oil-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/
https://www.rspo.org/about
http://www.orangutan.net/
http://palmoilaction.org.au/
http://greenpalm.org/about-palm-oil/where-is-palm-oil-grown-2
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-did-palm-oil-become-such-problem-and-what-can-we-do-about-it
Images:
http://www.audubon.org/magazine/fall-2016/as-global-demand-palm-oil-surges-indonesias
https://inhabitat.com/indonesian-president-announces-plan-to-halt-palm-oil-industry-expansion/
https://www.godfrey.com/en/experience/chemicals
http://www.vfcthomasville.org/thereisstillhope/
http://gen.furman.edu/dins-day/
http://www.schoodoodle.com/positive-people-dont-put-others-down-poster
http://www.woolrichvest.com/how-to-make-money-on-zazzle-3.html
http://johnbell.typepad.com/
https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/SPageServer/;jsessionid=00000000.app211a?NONCE_TOKEN=8B959A6DB42B6C95C50BA69C95B227D0&pagename=Thankyou_Ecards
http://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do#gs.vRZqsKg
https://www.kirksnatural.com/category/news/
http://katygandor.com/2016/04/palm-oil-why-all-the-controversy/
http://ronrosstoday.com/you-can-create-a-better-and-brighter-future/
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