How an Ingredient Found in Everything from Chocolate to Chips Is Causing Massive Environmental Destruction May 29, 2010 by Sarah Newman

How an Ingredient Found in Everything from Chocolate to Chips Is Causing Massive Environmental Destruction

Published on May 29, 2010

 By SARAH NEWMAN
Alternet
International
Posted by Bulatlat.com

The production of palm oil, the common ingredient in an astounding number of products, is causing deforestation, global warming emissions and a loss of biodiversity.

The aisles of any American grocery store, whether it’s a big-box behemoth or a cramped urban bodega, are filled with enough packaged goods to satiate nearly every consumer demand and impulse. But behind the neatly stocked shelves and cheery in-store commercials lurks a dirty secret concerning the dramatic and harmful global impact of the products we buy.

The common ingredient in an astounding number of products — from laundry detergent and chips to soap, candy and makeup — is palm oil. Grown primarily in Indonesia, palm farms are causing alarming rates of deforestation and displacement of indigenous peoples, and are posing a serious threat to local biodiversity. Far from a localized problem, the consequences of palm oil production are international in scope; according to the World Bank, Indonesia is the third largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, with a whopping 80 percent of its emissions being due to deforestation. And while six million hectares of land in the country have already been converted to palm plantations, a fight is now raging to protect the remaining forests, mainly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra..... MORE    

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/05/29/how-an-ingredient-found-in-everything-from-chocolate-to-chips-is-causing-massive-environmental-destruction/