trees are our friends, but are WE friends to the trees?
we force them to take in & accumulate all sorts of pollution from the air, water, & soil. Our surroundings become cleaner โ yes โ but all those pollutants corrode, poison, weaken & kill the trees
The wombat outcry : An (illegal) selfie with wildlife vs systematic wildlife destruction and wilful neglect
"The irony of our countryโs leaders condemning the actions of a young touristโs treatment of a wombat while shamelessly sanctioning their slaughter is impossible to overlook...Kangaroos, native birds, possums, black swans and emus are just a few of the many native animals that landholders are granted licences to kill under the ATCW list."
Whatโs happening to our native wildlife across the country is just as horrific as what we witnessed in that video โ itโs just occurring behind closed doors
Temperature anomalies by latitude band in February 2025. Pay close attention to the magnitude of this warmth in the #Arctic (x-axis). This is really jaw-dropping.
[Latitude = y-axis (not scaled by distance). Data from NASA GISS (GISTEMPv4) using a 1951-1980 climate baseline]
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: 19 years is enough
For nearly two decades now, the RSPO has failed in its mission to make the industrial palm oil sector โsustainableโ. Instead, it has been used by the palm oil industry to greenwash environmental destruction, labour and human rights abuses and land grabbing.
This yearโsgeneral assembly of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which began on 1 December 2022 in Malaysia, marks the allianceโs 19th anniversary. For nearly two decades now, the RSPO has failed in its mission to make the industrial palm oil sector โsustainableโ. Instead, it has been used by the palm oil industry to greenwash environmental destruction, labour and human rights abuses and land grabbing.
We, and other organisations working with communities affected by industrial oil palm plantations, have repeatedly denounced the RSPO for its failure to address the grievances of communities whose lands were taken by palm oil companies.
The fundamental problems with the institution and its certification scheme are described in detail in international statements signed by organisations from around the world in 2008 and in 2018, and recently in reports published in 2021 on the failure of RSPO to prevent deforestation, consult affected communities and address their grievances (here and here).
Today, we find that nothing has changed. While the area of land under RSPO-certified oil palm plantations has continued to grow, the RSPO has continued to be a great deception.
Since 2020, the RSPO certified several industrial oil palm concessions in Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Ghana, DRC, Nigeria and Ivory Coast belonging to the Luxembourg-based company Socfin.
The certifications were provided in complete disregard of community grievances related to lack of living space, land conflicts, deforestation, pollution, labour rights, harassment and violence. Communities in Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Ivory Coast have demanded the suspension of these certificates.
Image: Forests are still being bulldozed to make way for agricultural land for palm oil and beef production. Richard Whitcombe/Shutterstock
After articles appeared in the media about Socfinโs Cameroon plantations, the RSPO secretariat sent a verification mission to assess the allegations made.
While community leaders say the RSPO assessment team avoided talking with people critical of the company, and ignored evidence provided by community leaders, the verification assessment still documented numerous violations of RSPO standards at the Cameroon plantations. Despite these findings, the RSPO continues to issue certifications to more plantations of the Socfin group.
In Sierra Leone, 1,475 local community members affected by Socfinโs plantation signed a petition denouncing the RSPOโs certification decision in January 2022. They claimed the RSPO process was flawed and had failed to consider issues related to land grabbing, human rights violations and violent repression. As noted in an international press release signed by numerous organisations:
โThe RSPO consultation process was riddled with missteps. Relevant stakeholders, including affected landowners, were not consulted. A crucial government report that orders revocation of the principal lease and a participative process to solve the current land disputes was rejected as evidence. The audits were not independent from the company and a safe space for consultation was not provided despite the huge risks of reprisals for people.โ
Communities in Africa vulnerable to harassment and intimidation when complaining against RSPO member SOCFIN
The recent certification of Socfin in Africa shows how the RSPO not only fails to help communities but can undermine their defence of life. Communities and their NGO allies have to waste valuable time and resources engaging with multiple and complex RSPO processes. Leaders who speak out during these processes are vulnerable to intimidation and harassment.
Communities in Ecuador protest against palm oil land-grabbing by RSPO member are crushed by police in Ecuador
In another recent case, members of the Commune of Barranquilla de San Javier in Ecuador held a peaceful protest in 2019 to demand that the RSPO member company Energy & Palma withdraw from their lands, stop polluting their water sources and stop deforestation. The protests were violently crushed by the police and then, in a clear act of intimidation, the company took seven community leaders to court, seeking US$320,000 in damages. The court already issued one of two rulings and sentenced the community members to pay US$151,000, which the defenders appealed. The company also appealed and insisted on the payment of US$320,000. The second ruling is still pending. As of today, the RSPO has taken no action to sanction Energy & Palma.
Communities in Liberia await resolution of a landgrabbing complaint against RSPO member Golden Agri-Resources for over a decade
Meanwhile, communities in Liberia are still waiting for a solution to a complaint they lodged with the RSPO over a decade ago against member company Golden Agri-Resources. Their experience and others show how the RSPO complaint system is in tatters and has never been effective.
We now have 19 years of ongoing evidence that the RSPO is not a credible instrument for holding companies in the palm oil industry to account for environmental, social and labour violations. This means that RSPO fails to uphold its own principles and criteria towards its members.
It has proved to not be a trusted venue for communities to address their complaints against palm oil companies. Instead, it undermines communitiesโ efforts and enables palm oil companies to grab more lands.
Signatories to Public Statement
Greenpeace Africa
Africa
Labour Resource Center (LRC)
Bangladesh
Solsoc
Belgium
Entraide et Fraternitรฉ
Belgium
Fern
Belgium
FIAN Belgium
Belgium
MIJARC Europe
Belgium
Struggle to Economize Future Environment (SEFE)
Cameroon
SYNAPARCAM
Cameroon
RADD
Cameroun
JVE Cรดte dโIvoire
Cรดte dโIvoire
REFEB ci
Cรดte dโIvoire
NOAH โ Friends of the Earth Denmark
Denmark
Acciรณn Ecolรณgica
Ecuador
Fundaciรณn pro Defensa de la Naturaleza y sus Derechos
Ecuador
Red Ecuatoriana de Alternativas a la Palma Aceitera
Ecuador
European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC)
Europe
Association Franรงaise dโAmitiรฉ et de Solidaritรฉ avec les Peuples dโAfrique
France
ReAct Transnational
France
Sherpa
France
Confรฉdรฉration Paysanne
France
Muyissi Environnement
Gabon
Down to Earth Consult
Germany
Forum รkologie & Papier
Germany
Rettet den Regenwald e.V.
Germany
Red Mesoamericana contra la Palma de Aceite
Honduras
Indigenous Perspectives
India
Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM)
India
Palm Oil Concerns
India
REACH-M
India
Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland
India
Aceh Wetland Foundation
Indonesia
Betang Bagawi
Indonesia
FBTPI
Indonesia
FNPF
Indonesia
Forum Penjaga Hutan dan Sungai Harimau Pining
Indonesia
Greenpeace Indonesia
Indonesia
Jaringan Advokasi Tambang Sulawesi Tengah
Indonesia
JASOIL TANAH PAPUA
Indonesia
Kaoem Telapak
Indonesia
Lingkungan hidup URAI UNI
Indonesia
LITORAL
Indonesia
Pantau Gambut
Indonesia
Save Our Borneo
Indonesia
SBPI
Indonesia
Selamatkan Hutan Hujan Indonesia
Indonesia
Transnational Palm Oil Labour Solidarity Network
Indonesia
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI)/Friends of the Earth Indonesia
Indonesia
WALHI East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesian
Indonesia
WALHI Kalimantan Barat
Indonesia
WALHI Sulawesi Selatan
Indonesia
Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat
Indonesia
Gabungan Serikat Buruh Indonesia (DPP. GSBI)
Indonesia
KRuHA (Peopleโs Coalition for the Right to Water)
Indonesia
CADTM
International
Friends of the Earth International
International
GRAIN
International
World Rainforest Movement
International
Red Latinoamericana contra los monocultivos de รกrboles (RECOMA)
Latin America
Alliance for Rural Democracy (ARD)
Liberia
Green Advocates International
Liberia
Natural Resource Women Platform (NRWP)
Liberia
Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum (FKMM)
Malaysia
Tenaganitaโ
Malaysia
Reentramados para la vida, Defendiendo Territorios
Mรฉxico
Otros Mundos Chiapas
Mรฉxico
Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF)
Netherlands
Milieudefensie โ Friends of the Earth Netherlands
Netherlands
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria
Nigeria
Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee โ PKRC
Pakistan
Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA)
Philippines
asa-cadecvim coops
RD Congo
Association Paysannes des Jeunes Entrepreneurs Agricoles
RD Congo
COPACO-PRP
RD Congo
Confรฉdรฉration Paysanne du Congo -Principal Regroupement Paysan COPACO -PRP/ASBL
RD Congo
Coopรฉrative des Paysans de Lonzo, COPACLO en sigle
RD Congo
Alliance Paysanne pour la Souverainetรฉ Alimentaire, ASA/OP
RD Congo
Consortium Asa-CADECVIM
RD Congo
Rรฉseau dโinformation et dโappui aux ONG en Rรฉpublique Dรฉmocratique du Congo
RD Congo
Rรฉseau National des Organisations des femmes Paysanne
RD Congo
GREEN SCENERY
Sierra Leone
Womenโs Network Against Rural Plantations Injustice (WoNARPI)
Sierra Leone
Salva la Selva
Spain
Agrarinfo.ch
Switzerland
Bruno Manser Fonds
Switzerland
Agroecological Transitions Research Group
Switzerland
GREEN BOOTS
Switzerland
HEKS Swiss Church Aid
Switzerland
Pro Natura / Friends of the Earth Switzerland
Switzerland
Public Eye
Switzerland
Solidar Suisse
Switzerland
SOLIFONDS
Switzerland
Uniterre
Switzerland
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)
UK
Friends of the Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland
Nestlรฉ is destroying rainforests, releasing mega-tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, and killing hundreds of endangered species. Once these animals are gone โ they are gone for good. See Nestlรฉโs full list ofโฆ
In 2020, global retail giant Unilever unveiled a deforestation-free supply chain promise. By 2023 they would be deforestation free. This has been and gone and they are still causing deforestation. This brand hasโฆ
Despite the virtue-signalling of the palm oil certification body the RSPO, Mondelezโs so-called โsustainableโ palm oil is linked to 37.000ha of palm oil deforestation since 2016 (Source: Chain Reaction Research). Mondelez destroys rainforests,โฆ
Despite global retail giant Colgate-Palmolive forming a coalition with other brands in 2020, virtue-signalling that they will stop all deforestation, they continue to do this โ destroying rainforest and releasing mega-tonnes of carbonโฆ
โOur goal is by 2020 to have none of our products linked to deforestation.โ LโOrealโs website statement on palm oil This target has been and gone. Still, enormous environmental and social damage continuesโฆ
Despite decades of promises to end deforestation for palm oil PepsiCo (owner of crisp brands Frito-Lay, Cheetos and Doritos along with hundreds of other snack food brands) have continued sourcing palm oil thatโฆ
Palm Oil Detectives is completely self-funded by its creator. All hosting and website fees and investigations into brands are self-funded by the creator of this online movement. If you like what I am doing, you and would like me to help meet costs, please send Palm Oil Detectives a thanks on Ko-Fi.
Fresh controversy has emerged over the leading certification scheme for sustainable palm oil after a verification mission exposed ongoing issues around certified oil palm plantations in Cameroon.
Two bills in Congress would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from using hundreds of chemical assessments completed by its IRIS program in environmental regulations or enforcement.
Not even a lazy joke in a dystopic novel: "A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belรฉm." #ecocide #indigenouspeople bbc.com/news/articles/c9vy191rโฆ
Monster fishing vessels are hoovering up whole ecosystems in UK waters that are supposed to be protected. I just signed a petition calling on the new government to save our seas from destructive fishing, by banning supertrawlers in UK Marine Protected Areas. Will you join me?
Given the widespread destruction of rainforests and native biodiversity caused by oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia, environmental experts and politicians are warning that the move to promote palm oil cultivation in Indiaโs northeastern States and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could be disastrous, writes Priscilla Jerbaraj in The Hindu.
Other concerns include the impact on community ownership of tribal lands, as well as the fact that the oil palm is a water-guzzling, monoculture crop with a long gestation period unsuitable for small farmers. However, the government says land productivity for palm oil is higher than for oilseeds, with the Agriculture Minister giving an assurance that the land identified for oil palm plantations in northeastern States is already cleared for cultivation.
Article written by Priscilla Jerbaraj with inputs from Navamy Sudhish in Kollam, Kerala for The Hindu. Originally published August 29,2021. Read original. Republished under non-commercial re-use.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021, soon after the launch of the โน11,040 crore National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), Meghalaya MP Agatha Sangma warned that the focus areas were โbiodiversity hotspots and ecologically fragileโ and oil palm plantations would denude forest cover and destroy the habitat of endangered wildlife. It could also detach tribespeople from their identity linked with the community ownership of land and โwreak havoc on the social fabricโ, said the National Peopleโs Party.
Congress leader and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said proposals for large-scale oil palm cultivation had been studied and rejected as part of the technology mission on edible oils in the late 1980s as it was a โrecipe for ecological disasterโ. He alleged that โthe present proposal of course is designed to benefit Patanjali and Adaniโ, both corporates with interests in edible oil expansion.
โThe palm is an invasive species. Itโs not a natural forest product of northeastern India and its impact on our biodiversity as well as on soil conditions has to be analysed even if it is grown in non-forest areas. Any kind of monoculture plantation is not desirable,โ said Bibhab Talukdar, a biologist who heads the Guwahati-based conservation organisation Aaranyak, advising caution in introducing oil palm.
The Central government insists it is already proceeding on the basis of cautious scientific analysis. A study done by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research recommended 28 lakh hectares across the country where oil palm can be cultivated, out of which only 9 lakh hectares are in the northeastern States, said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
โThis 9 lakh hectares is not being given by cutting forests or other crops. This is land available for cultivation. The other reason is that besides the availability of land and the suitability of climate, in the context of environment too, it will help bring balance,โ he told journalists after the Cabinet approved the new Mission.
โThere is research going on to increase the production of oilseeds like mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, and there has been increasing growth in the production of these oilseeds, but if we have to fill huge gap in production versus demand [of edible oils] soon, we will have to venture into crops where production is more. The production of palm oil from one hectare is far greater than the production of mustard oil in the same area. So naturally, though we are promoting the production of other oilseed, the production rate of oilseeds cannot be compared to that of palm oil,โ he said. Palm oil currently makes up a whopping 55% of Indiaโs edible oil imports, and the new Mission is intended to move towards domestic production and self reliance instead. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have already had some experience with oil palm, including some abandoned plantations on Katchal Island in the Nicobar chain, and a 1,593-hectare area on Little Andaman which was planted more than 35 years ago and abandoned on the instructions of the Supreme Court.
According to a feasibility report prepared by the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) based on visits to the islands in late 2018, these can be revived and supplemented by plantations in the grasslands, which make up over 75% of the land area of Little Andaman, Katchal, Baratang, Kamorta and Teressa. โExisting grass in the islands is not of any use and is being burnt every year to avoid snakebites,โ said the IIOPRโs feasibility report, which added that the soil and climatic conditions were suitable for oil palm plantation, with high rainfall doing away with the need for irrigation which could suck out groundwater. All five islands are home to tribal communities, including the Jarawa and Onge tribes. The IIOPR suggested that multi-cropping during the first three years of the oil palmโs life cycle would help provide income before the plantation yields returns from the fourth to seventh years. However, in a January 2019 letter to the Agriculture department, the Chief Conservator of Forests of the Union Territory pointed out that much of these lands are protected or reserve forests and any land use changes would require the approval of the Supreme Court, whose 2002 order had directed that existing plantations, whether of oil palm, rubber or teak, should be phased out. The land should be regenerated to its natural profile without any further introduction of exotic species, it said. In its feasibility report, IIOPR said the Chief Secretary of the islands gave an assurance that โA&N administration would take care of issues relating to Supreme Court Ban and other Committee Reports with the help of the Government of Indiaโ.
Although it shares similarly suitable climatic conditions, Sri Lanka has recently disavowed oil palm, with a May announcement to raze existing plantations and ban palm oil imports as the crop has replaced more environmentally friendly and employment generating plantation crops, dried up local streams, and shows signs of becoming an invasive species threatening native plants and animals.
In the parts of peninsular India which already grow oil palm, the response has been mixed. Industry stakeholders in Kerala, which has had widespread experience with plantation crops, are excited about growth prospects via the new Mission. Former Oil Palm India chairman Vijayan Kunissery told The Hindu that a number of rubber farmers are interested in switching to oil palm and expected a revival of the sector by 2022. The State government has identified potential sites for cultivation in Wayanad and Palakkad districts, apart from rejuvenation of existing gardens supported by the new Mission.
In Andhra Pradesh, which currently grows more than 90% of Indiaโs oil palm, farmers depended on bore well irrigation. G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, an agricultural scientist who heads the Hyderabad-based Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, pointed out that oil palm requires 300 litres of water per tree per day, as well as high pesticide use in areas where it is not a native crop, leading to consumer health concerns as well.
Article written by Priscilla Jerbaraj with inputs from Navamy Sudhish in Kollam, Kerala for The Hindu. Originally published August 29,2021. Read original. Republished under non-commercial re-use.
ENDS
An Indian documentary about the dangers of consuming palm oil
The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), with their distinctive โYโ or โVโ shaped chest patch and shaggy fur, are unique bears native to the Indian subcontinent. Once exploited as โdancing bearsโ by the Kalandar tribe, this phase ofโฆ
Discover the intriguing world of the Nicobar long-tailed macaque, a true survivor of Indiaโs Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These intelligent, adaptable, and highly social creatures navigate a variety of habitats with remarkable resilience. With their broad, chubbyโฆ
Phayreโs leaf monkey, also known as Phayreโs langur, are remarkable Old World monkeys distinguished by large, white-rimmed eyes that lend them a โspectacledโ appearance. Known locally as โChasma bandorโ they live mostly in the lush forests ofโฆ
Indiaโs aggressive push for palm oil plantations in Nagaland, Assam and Mizoram is wreaking havoc on both the environment and local communities. The government plans to ramp up oil palm cultivation in the northeast, locking away landโฆ
Intelligent and social Irrawaddy dolphins, also known as the Mahakam River dolphins or Ayeyarwady river dolphins have endearing faces. Only 90 to 300 are estimated to be left living in the wild. Their rounded and expressive lookingโฆ
The majestic Sambar deer, cloaked in hues ranging from light brown to dark gray, are distinguished by their rugged antlers and uniquely long tails. Adorned with a coat of coarse hair and marked by a distinctive, blood-redโฆ
Lion-tailed macaques hold the title of one of the smallest macaque species in the world and sport a majestic lion-esque mane of hair. They exclusively call the Western Ghats in India their home. This area has beenโฆ
The Jerdonโs Courser is a rare and captivating nocturnal #songbird belonging to the pratincole and courser family Glareolidae. These #birds are endemic to #India in the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh. Currently they are only knownโฆ
Green Dragontails could arguably be called the most exquisite and beautiful butterflies alive.
They flutter through sunlit patches of leaves near to streams and rivers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and northeastern India.
The Nicobar pigeon is the largest pigeon in the world and the closest living relative to the extinct dodo bird. They are famous for their gorgeous iridescent feathers. When threatened they make a pig-like grunt and areโฆ
The largest of the three rhino species in Asia, the Indian Rhino has a distinctive and unique armour-plated look which lends them a fairytale quality that has captivated admirers for aeons. Although Indian rhino numbers have climbedโฆ
Barasinghas (Cervus duvauceli) also known as Swamp Deers, are instantly recognisable for their enormous handsome antlers. They can have as many as 12 antlers and their namesake Barasinghas means โ12 antlered deerโ in Hindi. They are nowโฆ
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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youโre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
"So where do we begin? We begin by questioning the unquestioned beliefs that are the real authorities of this culture, and then we move out from there. And once youโve begun that questioning, my job is done, because once those questions start they never stop. From that point on, what you do is up to you."
Jordan Chariton is LIVE reporting in New York City as protesters demonstrate at a Tesla showroom to voice their opposition to Tesla CEO Elon Musk's unelected role in the Trump administration leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)โwhich is cutting tens of thousands of government workers across critical departments and agencies.
Depuis dรฉbut fรฉvrier, a rรฉvรฉlรฉ le magazine Challenges, Imerys est poursuivi par un fonds dโinvestissement รฉtasunien, le groupe Flacks, pour ยซ dissimulation frauduleuse ยป. Selon Flacks, contactรฉ par Reporterre, lโentreprise aurait vendu ses exploitations de kaolin en dissimulant quโelles seraient ร lโorigine dโun ยซ dรฉsastre humanitaire ยป
l'audience se tiendra le 3 avril au tribunal de commerce de Paris.
Le 4 octobre dernier, lors dโune rรฉunion dโinformation ร #Prayssac, des #associations et #collectifs lotois ont dressรฉ le triste tableau des projets dรฉlรฉtรจres en cours dans le dรฉpartement. Cette soirรฉe fut lโoccasion pour les 200 personnes prรฉsentes de prendre conscience de lโรฉtendue du dรฉsastre en cours et ร venir.
Pour beaucoup dโentre nous, le dรฉpartement du Lot semblait encore un territoire relativement prรฉservรฉ des nuisances industrielles de notre temps. Mais il nโen est rien : champs de #panneaux #solaires en zones naturelles, #agricoles et #forestiรจres, jusque dans le Parc Naturel Rรฉgional des Causses du Quercy oรน 7000 #arbres pourraient รชtre abattus et des #dolmens disparaรฎtre ; #mรฉthaniseurs et leur plan dโ #รฉpandage aussi inefficaces que #polluants ou coรปteux ; dรฉforestation massive en #Bouriane et dans le #Sรฉgala ; #tourisme de masse et de luxe ici et lร ; agrandissement des carriรจres au dรฉtriment des riverains et des riviรจres, gestion catastrophique des ordures mรฉnagรจres avec la mise en place de la Tarification Incitative, etc. Et que dire des projets รฉoliens dans le Sรฉgala ?
Aux sites existants se rajouteraient 20 zones qualifiรฉes de ยซ #zones-ร -potentiel-รฉolien ยป sans se prรฉoccuper de la faiblesse du vent, de la prรฉsence de zones humides, de #sources ร prรฉserver (Tolerme), de la #biodiversitรฉ et encore moins de la proximitรฉ des habitations. Bref, le Lot change de peau, une vile surprise ร chaque pas.
Celles et ceux prรฉsents ce soir-lร ont remarquรฉ les similitudes de tous ces projets : #saccage-environnemental, projets occultรฉs, population ignorรฉe, #argent-public dilapidรฉ, dรฉfaillance de certains รฉlus ; intรฉrรชt privรฉ primant sur lโintรฉrรชt gรฉnรฉral ; inaptitude et complicitรฉ des institutions et de lโรtat. La diagonale du vide devient celle du profit pour ces quelques multinationales ou multimillionnaires.
Alors que ce sombre constat aurait pu paralyser les participants, il impulsa au contraire #une envie #collective de se revoir, de sโorganiser et de faire face. Tel fut lโobjet dโune 2e rencontre dรฉbut dรฉcembre ร #Montfaucon, qui vit la crรฉation du #Rรฉseau-des-Rรฉsistances-et-Alternatives-Lotoises. Celui-ci, composรฉ dโassociations, de collectifs autonomes, et de #citoyens inquiets, sโest donnรฉ pour buts de sโopposer plus activement encore aux projets รฉcocides, dโ #informer la #population pour qu'elle sโimplique dans la politique locale et dรฉcide collectivement des choix concernant sa vie quotidienne, son environnement et la gestion des #communs : le Vivant, lโEau, lโAir, la Terre et son sous-sol.
Constatant que la sociรฉtรฉ industrielle capitaliste et son modรจle de production dรฉtruisent la qualitรฉ des communs nรฉcessaires ร la vie, ici comme ailleurs ; que les dรฉcisions politiciennes tant nationales que locales nous enchaรฎnent toujours plus ร des choix irresponsables et ne tiennent pas compte des rรฉels besoins de la population ; Nous Invitons les habitants et les habitantes ร se rรฉapproprier leurs conditions de vie pour ne plus dรฉpendre de ce systรจme mortifรจre ; Nous Appelons celles et ceux qui partagent ce constat ร rejoindre nos associations et collectifs pour sโopposer aux projets en cours et dรฉcider ensemble comment vivre ici et maintenant pour un futur dรฉsirable.
โSustainableโ Avaiation Fuel (SAF) is a biofuel alternative to using fossil fuels for powering planes and cars. SAF is being aggressively marketed by multiple industries as a greener alternative to burning fossil fuels in cars and airplanes.
However, SAF is produced from food crops such as rapeseed, palm oil, soy and sugar cane. This requires vast swathes of land to grow. This also means mass deforestation of land that is rich in biodiversity, putting at risk already threatened animals and plants and indigenous peoples all over the world. Emissions from palm oil-derived biodiesel are three times higher than fossil fuel diesel.โAccording to Transport & Environment EU food-based biodiesel leads to around 80% higher emissions than the fossil fuel diesel that it replaces. Read on to find out how you can take action.
Originally published by Irish EVs as โBiofuel: A Greenwashing Battlegroundโ read the original article here.
Biofuel: A Greenwashing Battleground
Despite numerous independent studies demonstrating time and again that battery electric vehicles offer the only viable solution for the future of road transport โ if we are to succeed in averting the worst outcomes of the Climate Crisis โ myths about so-called โalternative fuelsโ persist.
Those who have a vested interest in the oil industry and the associated infrastructure of pipelines and petrol stations have long been reluctant to commit to the switch to supporting battery electric vehicles, and as such have invested heavily in greenwashing and the development of new liquid fuels.
While we have covered the misleading greenwashing around the development of eFuels previously, today we take a look at the broader world of biofuels and highlight the many reasons why they offer no viable solution for the future and why their โgreenโ label must be dropped.
What is biofuel?
In its simplest form, a biofuel is produced from plant matter through man-made processes which are considerably quicker than the thousands of years that it takes for oil to naturally occur in the Earth.
The first major challenge of biofuels โ land requirements
Biofuels are produced from food crops such as rapeseed, palm oil, soy and sugar cane. They require vast swathes of land to grow, which requires either that land which was previously used to produce food for human consumption is set aside to produce fuel, or it requires the clearance of new land.
The former increases food shortages and lowers levels of nutrition in the diets of the poorest people on the planet, while the latter requires that virgin forest and wetlands are destroyed in order to produce an inefficient form of fuel that barely compares to the efficiency of battery electric vehicles.
A 2008 study by The Nature Conservancy in Minneapolis, Minnesota found that for every 10,000 square metres of Brazilian rainforest cleared for growing soya to make biodiesel, over 700 tonnes of CO2 would be released.
As such, any carbon saving from the resulting biodiesel (compared to fossil fuel diesel) would take around 300 years of continual use in order to cancel out the climate impact of the rainforest destruction. Even the most efficient liquid fuels pale in comparison to direct electrification. Furthermore, battery electric vehicles can be powered solely from renewable energy. Credit: Transport & Environment To put these figures into context, it would take a field the size of a standard football pitch covered in crops to fuel just 2.4 cars over the course of one year. If that land were instead covered with solar panels, it would power 260 battery electric cars in one year.
As of 2021, an area the size of the Netherlands (41,543 square kilometres) has been deforested around the world in order to support biofuel production over the past decade.
In fact, biodiesel current uses 44% of all vegetable oils consumed in Europe โ oils that are perfectly good for human consumption.
โA field the size of a football pitch would produce enough biofuels for 2.4 cars per yearโ
The โGreen Miracleโ of Biofuel: In Reality a Greenwashing Lie
You donโt have to look far to see various corporations claiming that biofuels are some โgreenโ miracle.
From your local petrol station โ where every petrol brand is at least 5% biofuel โ to the sporting giant that is Formula 1, there are widespread claims that biofuels are the answer to the Climate Crisis.
The consumption of biodiesel has grown rapidly in the past decade, with palm oil and rapeseed accounting for the most common sources. Credit: Transport & Environment
In fact, a Formula 1 press release from 2019 states: โAs part of Formula 1โs ambitious sustainability strategy that targets a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030, biofuels will play a major part in the championship. [Biofuels] is a word that gets bandied about quite a lot, so we prefer to use the phrase โadvanced sustainable fuelsโโ.
As more and more people become aware of the enormous harm that biofuels can wreak on our ecological systems and our climate, they are rebranding them to sound more innocuous and advanced.
But how harmful are they for our climate and human health?
At present, around four in every five litres of biofuel sold in the EU is biodiesel, according to Transport & Environment. They also detail that, on average, EU food-based biodiesel leads to around 80% higher emissions than the fossil fuel diesel that it replaces. As such the use of biofuels effectively increases the emissions from the road transport sector to the tune of an additional 12 million extra cars per year.
Furthermore, emissions from palm oil-derived biodiesel are three times higher than fossil fuel diesel. This is a significant finding given that more than half of all palm oil imported into the EU is used to produce biodiesel, making drivers the biggest consumers of palm oil.
While many have boycotted foodstuffs that contain palm oil due to its huge environmental destruction, few are aware that such climate action is eclipsed if they drive a biodiesel-powered vehicle.
Beyond the emissions they create, palm oil-based biofuels have driven the clearance of more than 27 million hectares of the Earthโs surface โ thatโs an area around the size of New Zealand which no longer supports any biodiversity.
โEmissions from palm oil-derived biodiesel are three times higher than fossil fuel dieselโ
Furthermore, the production of monocultures like palm oil dramatically increases the risk of pests and diseases in crops, making them considerably more likely to fail. Meanwhile, the production of palm oil is directly linked to the dramatic loss of endangered species such as orangutans, while more than 700 land conflicts in Indonesia alone have let to human rights violations on a daily basis. Those who promote the consumption of these biofuels โ and those who continue to use them โ are ultimately responsible for consistent ecocide, human rights violations and the destruction of our planet.
Closing The Loopholes
The rise in biofuel use has been led by the Renewable Energy Directive, which was introduced by the EU in 2010 with the aim of setting a 10% renewable energy target for the transport sector by 2020 for each member state. However, it has widely missed the mark, and even gone as far as further jeopardising our future.
Laura Buffet, Energy Director at Transport & Environment, commented: โTen years of this โgreenโ fuel law and what have we got to show for it? Rampant deforestation, habitats wiped out and worse emissions than if we had used polluting diesel instead.โ
โA policy that was supposed to save the planet is actually trashing it. We cannot afford another decade of this failed policy. We need to break the biofuels monopoly in renewable transport and put electricity at the centre of the Renewable Energy Directive instead.โ The consumption of biofuels in the Global North โ and the destruction that they cause in the Global South โ highlights the need for a just transition, where those who are least responsible for CO2 emissions will be worst affected by the Climate Crisis. Credit: Oxfam While an updated Renewable Energy Directive was adopted in 2018, which includes legislation to reduce palm oil biodiesels, the EU is still only planning to slowly phase out biofuel consumption by 2030.
This is far too late considering the ecological, climate and human impacts that these fuels have on a daily basis around the world.
It is clear that we need considerably more ambitious legislation to stamp out these fuels with immediate effect, and that the EU โ and national governments โ should focus on communicating the harm that they do, as well as communicating the clear efficiency gains afforded by battery electric vehicles.
That clear communication is essential to drive meaningful and informed climate action.
This is necessary to stem the worsening Climate Crisis that is already claiming lives and threatens to displace billions of people within our lifetime.
IrishEVs would encourage you to spread the word about biofuels, push back against the โgreenโ myth that they are being promoted under, and to boycott the consumption of these fuels if you do not already drive a battery electric vehicle.
Resolving the Climate Crisis will take action from us all, and time is running out.
Originally published by Irish EVs as โBiofuel: A Greenwashing Battlegroundโ read the original article here.
Enjoy a home-cooked meal: Use your imagination: why not try almond-coconut-pear biscuits? Or pizza with potato and rosemary? A meal cooked from fresh ingredients beats processed foods containing palm oil every time. Oils such as sunflower, olive, rapeseed or flaxseed are ideal for cooking and baking. Here are some recipes to enjoy.
Read labels: As of December 2014, labeling regulations in the EU require food products to clearly indicate that they contain palm oil. However, in the case of non-food items such as cosmetics and cleaning products, a wide range of chemical names may still be used to hide the use of palm oil. Find palm oil free alternatives for these products here.
Remember that the customer is king: Do you have a favourite brand that uses palm oil? Write to product manufacturers and ask them why they arenโt using domestic oils. Companies can be quite sensitive to issues that give their products a bad name, so inquiring with sales staff and contacting manufacturers can make a real difference. Public pressure and increased awareness of the problem have already prompted some producers to stop using palm oil.
Sign petitions and write your elected representatives: Online campaigns put pressure on policymakers responsible for biofuels and palm oil imports.
Speak out: Protest marches and creative action on the street raises public and media awareness of the issue of palm oil hidden on supermarket shelves and in petrol tanks. This turns up the heat on policymakers.
Leave your car at home: Whenever you can, walk, ride a bicycle or use public transport.
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The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), with their distinctive โYโ or โVโ shaped chest patch and shaggy fur, are unique bears native to the Indian subcontinent. Once exploited as โdancing bearsโ by the Kalandarโฆ
One million plant and animal species are now threatened with extinction. Biodiversity is at a critical juncture before being wiped out forever and pressure is mounting on the international community to commit toโฆ
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Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youโre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
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