Tag Archives: palm oil

Burning Indonesia’s Rainforest An investigative report reveals that Korindo, a corporation heavily involved in natural resource extraction in Southeast Asia, is targeting the largest intact Rainforest in Papua the Indonesian provinces of Papua and North Maluku for destruction to make way for oil palm plantations.  Despite the devastating haze crisis of 2015, the common tool for their systematic operation of deforestation is fire. This in …

In just three weeks, a raging inferno in Indonesia has released more CO2 than Germany does in a year, and more than that of the entire U.S. economy. Clearing forest and altering landscapes and waterways underlain by carbon-rich peat deposits for palm oil agriculture is to blame.

EarthTalk® is a weekly environmental column made available to our readers from the editors of E/The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: How is it that some food purveyors are contributing to the destruction of tropical rainforests by ditching unhealthy “trans fats?”                                                            — Billy S., Salem, OR Most public health advocates applaud efforts by processed food producers, restaurants and fast food chains …

First generation biofuels have been widely criticized, but even second, third and fourth generation biofuels have uncertain technical, economic and environmental viability. A full assessment of the environmental costs of biofuels reveals that the vast majority do not make sense. For biofuels to be a truly feasible alternative to oil, life cycle analysis must take into account not only CO2, but all the associated …

Here is a quick review of some of the best and the worst environmental stories of 2010. BEST: Mass Production of Electric Cars Cars and trucks are responsible for a quarter of US carbon emissions. However, this year, both Chevrolet and Nissan were amongst a slew of car makers who launched electric vehicles. Even SUVs, crossovers, luxury cars, station wagons and hatchbacks are getting more efficient. Social Media Activism Working for the …

With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day upon us, a renewed sense of activism and attention is cast around the present state of our natural environment. What started as a local grassroots effort to increase environmental awareness and provoke action from our political leaders has not only led to significant policy changes, but has also developed into an international celebration of our planet. As we …

The inclusion of rainforests in the next climate protocol fails to protect the forests from the expansion of palm oil plantations. A study issued at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology argues that palm oil plantations are a massive danger because they already are an important driving force behind deforestation in Southeast Asia. The proportion of palm oil that goes into biodiesel production is still …