http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/greenpeace-and-friends-of-the-earth-schoolyard-bullies-against-palm-oil.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/greenpeace-and-friends-of-the-earth-schoolyard-bullies-against-palm-oil.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:10:45 -0600 Sir Winston Churchill

History has taught us over and over again that appeasement of tyrants and aggressors never works, but only encourages them to continue in their aggression and even up the ante.

Defined as a policy of accepting the imposed conditions of an aggressor in lieu of resistance, usually at the sacrifice of principles, appeasement policies have been demonstrated to fail, often spectacularly, in the complete spectrum of human to human interaction, ranging from pay and labor disputes, to sports administration right up to trade and environmental policy making. Most infamously, appeasement policies were adopted by the likes of Chamberlain, Quislin and Petain towards Hitler in World War II, all with predictably disastrous consequences.

As a consequence, Don D'Cruz, an expert on non-governmental organisation (NGO) campaigns against industries who has spent a decade fighting NGO campaigns on a whole range of issues, have urged palm oil growers, buyers and food companies to walk away from the sustainable palm oil roundtable process.

Says D'Cruz,: "Although the roundtable process was "well-meaning" and "good-intentioned", it was probably going to cause a great deal of damage to the palm oil industry in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia."

"The roundtable process has provided western NGOs with an invaluable opportunity to conduct indepth research into the industry in countries like Malaysia," D'Cruz said.

"Basically they have a better idea as to how to go about destroying the industry in Malaysia because of the intelligence they have obtained," he said.

Speaking from Melbourne where he is based, D'Cruz said the roundtable had been created out a desire by western food multinationals to head off what they viewed as an inevitable campaign on palm oil but he said that it would end up "helping their self-stakeholders as the expense of their real stakeholders".

D'Cruz said processes like the roundtable were built on flawed premises because "the more you give western NGOs, the more they want".

"Western environmental NGOs are like schoolyard bullies, in that until someone stands up to them they will just keep bullying," he said.

"Another problem with this is you hand out a big load of cash to such a process you are going to attract NGOs looking for cash. In a sense, you are not making the problem go away, you are actually institutionalising your critics," he added.

D'Cruz said the money associated with the roundtable was turning the palm oil industry into a target.

He said that he thought that the Malaysian government needed to come in and talk to all parties and shut this down before it ended in tears.

"The subtext of the campaign by western environmental NGOs against the palm oil industry was racism," D'Cruz said.

"Essentially, NGOs like Greenpeace are saying that Malaysians, Indonesians and their elected representatives are too corrupt, lazy or stupid to look after their own countries," he said.

"Ultimately, it is not an argument that the palm oil industry is best equipped to tackle. It is a job for the Malaysian government and other governments which have palm oil industries."

In the view of the Palm Oil Truth Foundation, D'Cruz's views are certainly food for thought, especially when juxtaposed against the unreasonable and often baffling and incomprehensible actions of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth towards palm oil. Considering the lessons that history has taught the world on the futility of appeasement, it would be remiss for the palm oil industry to ignore the consequences of adopting policies of appeasement towards aggressor "green NGO's" who appear determined to stop the growth of palm oil, by fair means or foul. Nothing destroys untruths as much as the truth and right always triumphs over might. These lessons still hold water and resonate, despite and perhaps in view of the passage of history.THE END.

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Palm Oil Truth Foundation (TRUTH Foundation) is an international non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation, without strings to the world of commerce and power. We are a people organisation, organised for the people and founded upon the principles of integrity and responsibility as a global citizen with the sole purpose of representing TRUTH to the global community about health, environmental and economic benefits of palm oil.

The TRUTH Foundation is an international network of social conscience and cooperation among peoples in industry, government, academia and the ordinary global consuming public, strengthening the forces devoted to respect, justice and equality for a more just and sustainable world and for global peace.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/first-eco-super-hero-comes-to-life-in-new-novel.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/first-eco-super-hero-comes-to-life-in-new-novel.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:08:13 -0600
That's the premise of Francis T. Perry Williams' new novel Pollen and the Ring of Harmony, from Greenleaf Press Book Group (www.PollenGreenArmy.com). Taking his cue from the green movement, Williams has created what he calls "the first eco-super-hero."

"Pollen is a unique combination of science fiction and science fact," Williams said. "Pollen is a visitor from the far reaches of space, and he is coming to Earth on a mission of peace and harmony, but his reception is far from uneventful. He is here to warn us, as a race, that we are destroying our planet. He is a being uniquely attuned to nature in all its forms, and he brings with him a group of friends to help him deliver his message."

In the story, they cross the United States with the intent of delivering a message to the president, but it's far from a greeting card sentiment. Even though he is from another star, Pollen knows enough about the human condition to know that talking to leaders is an empty experience without the support of the people. So, in his journey, he makes friends with others who share his view and his cause.

"Pollen's alert is that the Earth is about to be destroyed, unless humans learn to live in harmony with nature," Williams said. "It's a message that is received with some dismay and disbelief, but the power of the message is muted by the apparent power of a talisman that accompanies Pollen - a ring of immeasurable power."

The ring becomes the focus of the ambitious vice president, who feels the alien's primary value is not in the message he delivers but in the power he wields with the ring.

"The vice president is seduced by the ring's power, and he begins a secret campaign to obtain it, at all costs," Williams said.

The novel, written with the science-fiction audience in mind, also encourages environmental awareness by addressing the harmful effects people have on the planet.

"The message is consistent with what scientists and advocates have been saying for the last decade - that we've done some unconscionable damage to our home, but that it's not too late to reverse the damage," Williams said. "In Pollen, the greatest war of all time has begun. The war is between those who want to save our planet for future generations and those who will drain its resources until it is dead."

"Several years ago, after reading an article about people cutting into thousand-year-old redwood trees in Northern California, I was inspired to teach others about the importance of living green," Williams added. "It was then that I knew I had to do something to protect nature and the environment. I decided to focus my creative energy on reaching out to younger generations, to teach them how to respect the world around them and live in harmony with nature. This is why Pollen is here, and we should listen to what he has to say."


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Tony Panaccio is a staff writer for News & Experts.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/palm-oil-puts-case-against-environmentalists-false-claims.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/palm-oil-puts-case-against-environmentalists-false-claims.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:31:18 -0600
Global warming is fast petering out as a cause that raises alarm and over-fishing is also less of a threat, thanks to the introduction of quotas and other measures.

So what's new in the list of campaigns that attempt to undermine western industrialised economies and keep the Third World locked in poverty?

Palm oil is one, and it has come under attack from a concerted media campaign, headed by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

In New Zealand, the Sunday Star-Times has led the charge with a journalist's visit to Indonesia to inspect the impact of palm oil plantations and generation of local opposition to palm kernel imports as a supplementary feed for dairy cows.

But now the industry is fighting back through World Growth, a pro-globalisation organisation that promotes trade as the best generator of health, wealth and freedom.

In a series of briefing papers, World Growth accuses Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth of attacking the palm oil industry because it's successful, and says the environmental groups ignore the contribution to lifting people out of poverty.

World Growth says palm is the fastest growing, cheapest, highest quality and most sustainable vegetable oil in production. Analyses by the US Department of Agriculture show annual production from Indonesia and Malaysia (which account for nearly 90% of world production) has risen over the past decade from 15,000 tonnes to 34,000 tonnes.

Further, the industry rejects claims that palm oil is unhealthy, as other vegetable oil industries have claimed, and says it contains no trans fats.

The campaign against palm oil has had some effect. For example, the European Union has imposed trade restrictions on imports of biofuels (particularly palm oil).

In New Zealand, Cadbury dropped the use of palm oil in its chocolate because of public opinion based largely on claims made by anti-palm oil advocates.

World Growth has issued a report, Palm Oil - The Sustainable Oil, to restore balance in public discussion of palm oil. The following is a summary of the report's rebuttal of key claims made against palm oil:

DEFORESTATION

Claim: Palm oil leads to widespread deforestation
Fact: The primary cause of deforestation is poverty
Some 60-70% of land clearing is undertaken by the poor and poverty stricken seeking shelter, fire wood or land for subsistence farming.

Malaysia has dedicated more than 55% of land as permanent forest reserve while Indonesia has set aside 25%.

Advances are occurring all the time to improve the yield and productivity of palm oil plantations, which reduces demand for further land clearing.

Furthermore, many new plantations across Malaysia are being planted on degraded land, which improves the quality of the land and absorbs carbon from the atmosphere. Other plantations are occurring on land formerly planted with less efficient crops.

ORANG-UTAN THREAT

Claim: Palm Oil plantations are endangering the Orang-utan
Fact: The loss of orang-utan habitat is caused by human settlement

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Centre for International Forestry Research in Indonesia have both stated that the primary cause of the loss of habitat of the Orang-utan is human settlement and large-scale forestry plantations.

However, the palm oil industry, in collaboration with some environmental groups, is funding orang-utan conservation programmes and wildlife habitat corridors.

POVERTY

Claim: Palm oil plantations harm the poor and indigenous
Fact: Palm oil plantations are highly efficient at ending poverty and improving living standards

Palm oil is one of few plantation crops that can return an income to a small landholder. In Indonesia almost half of all palm plantations are owned by small landholders; in Malaysia it is 40%. Palm oil has been recognised by the World Bank as one of the best means to reduce poverty and raise standards of living.

SUSTAINABILITY

Claim: Palm oil is not sustainable
Fact: Palm oil uses less land, energy and fertiliser, and produces more energy, than other vegetable oil crop.

Palm oil generates nearly 10 times the energy it consumes. Soybeans generate only three times the amount and rapeseed (canola) only 2.5 times. The oil palm needs only 0.26ha of land to produce one tonne of oil. Soybean, sunflower and rapeseed respectively require 2.22, 2 and 1.52ha.

The palm oil industry, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, has initiated the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil to create certification systems for sustainably produced oil. In addition, palm oil producing nations impose many environmental and other legal requirements on palm oil plantations.

GREENHOUSE GASES

Claim: Palm oil is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions
Fact: Oil palms sequester more carbon dioxide than other oil seeds and most other plantations

Lifecycle analysis of carbon footprints of various oilseeds shows greenhouse gas emissions from palm oil are significantly lower than rapeseed and soybean. There is not sufficient research to draw any conclusions on the impact of palm oil crops on greenhouse gas emissions.

Epilogue:

In the view of the Palm Oil Truth Foundation, World Growth should be lauded for having the vision and courage to see through and expose the hype and falsehoods spewed by the likes of Greenpeace and the Friends of the Earth about palm oil.

The Palm Oil Truth Foundation has been a lonely voice in the wilderness, pointing out for some years now, that the anti-palm oil campaigns are clearly a well funded and well planned proxy trade war cleverly disguised as legitimate environmental concerns!

The mainstream media has been mindlessly lapping up the hype and regurgitating them ad
infinitum. It is certainly heartening that the media is finally waking up to the dubious nature of Greenpeace and FOE's claims!

The total world acreage planted with palm oil is less than 1% of the world agricultural area. It is certainly a stretch for the agitators to allege that palm oil is responsible for "massive deforestation" that is contributing 20% of global carbon emission and causing global warming!

More likely, the fact that palm oil is fast becoming the most popular edible oil in the world could be the real reason behind the discomfiture of its competitors with palm oil's growth that has triggered this agitation in the first place.

The Palm Oil Truth Foundation is compelled to ask whether the real motives behind the anti-palm oil movement could be motivated by the fact that palm oil is:

1. the most productive of all edible oils
2. inherently healthful as it is naturally rich in anti-oxidants like tocotrienols, Co Q10 and beta-carotenes (which is why the oil is naturally red in colour)
3. the cheapest cooking oil in the world due to its incredible yield and because of its price advantage is now increasingly popular as a feedstock for biodiesel.

It is time that the main stream media wake up to the fact that these anti-palm oil campaigns are really cleverly disguised proxy trade wars.THE END

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Palm Oil Truth Foundation (TRUTH Foundation) is an international non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation, without strings to the world of commerce and power. We are a people organisation, organised for the people and founded upon the principles of integrity and responsibility as a global citizen with the sole purpose of representing TRUTH to the global community about health, environmental and economic benefits of palm oil.

The TRUTH Foundation is an international network of social conscience and cooperation among peoples in industry, government, academia and the ordinary global consuming public, strengthening the forces devoted to respect, justice and equality for a more just and sustainable world and for global peace.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/the-great-palm-oil-deforestation-hoax.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/the-great-palm-oil-deforestation-hoax.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:27:59 -0600
He further alleged that the palm oil industry is "responsible for the deaths of thousands of orang utans, tens of millions of other wildlife forms, and logging - both legal and otherwise, on an industrial scale throughout all of Kalimantan and Sumatra."

He goes on to allege: "The truth will win in the end and the public will decide with their credit cards and checkbooks, as they have done so massively with Fair Trade products, whether or not they want palm oil in their homes or cars."

Whyte continues: "The problem is not palm oil, but the methods used to develop and manage plantations throughout Indonesia and Sarawak. To visit Kalimantan, Sumatra or Sarawak is to witness the catastrophic decimation of wildlife, forests, local communities, and rivers polluted with insecticides."

"The scene resembles and feels like a Klondike gold rush, with palm oil companies grabbing what forest they can, whilst they can and, before a competitor does. Countless documentaries have shown thousands of hectares of bare land, where palm oil companies have bought a license to log a forest and convert the land to a plantation," wrote Mr Whyte.

"Once the forest is logged, many companies vanish with their quick profits from logging, leaving the land bare, only to start again under a new name not far away, time and again," alleges Whyte.

Writes Whyte: "In Sarawak, there have been innumerable reports of this same industry denying indigenous tribes their rights to their land. Although less reported, the same happens in Indonesia."

Turning to Alan Oxley, the Chairman of World Growth who argues that NGOs are opposed to poor people improving their lives, Whyte alleges that the truth is exactly the opposite.

Whyte's assertion that "Any NGO brave enough to help tribes people repel loggers making way for palm oil plantations in Sarawak runs a very serious risk to their personal safety," deserves no response for the clumsy but contemptible, sensational and melodramatic nonsense that it is.

That is the hype. Let us now examine the facts.

Whyte obviously confuses land clearing for logging and land clearing for palm oil planting. His assertion that many palm oil companies vanish with their quick profits from logging, leaving the land bare, only to start again under a new name not far away, time and again," is a reflection of his ignorance of a long term industry where harvesting can only be carried out close to a decade after planting!

It is well established that Malaysia is a small country (with a land mass roughly that of the state of New Mexico) which should tell us something - palm oil does not require quite as much land as the agitators like Whyte are trying to make it out to be.

Palm oil is also indisputably, the most productive of all oilseed crops with a yield of 4-5 metric tons per hectare which is close to 10 times that of its competitors such as soy, rapeseed and sunflower.

The Palm Oil truth Foundation is compelled to ask how there can be any truth to the deforestation allegations when Malaysia, despite its insignificant land mass, have been the world's largest cultivator of palm oil for more than a century!

Yet the country still retains more than 55% forest cover, which is certainly much higher than the prevailing 20 odd per cent found in the countries of the industrialized west, from which these environmental agitators hail!

In the last 200 years, New Zealand's temperate forest is already mostly wiped out to make way for settlement and grazing land, to produce milk, meat and wool which now make up the main exports of New Zealand. It is pertinent to ask why the agricultural products, produced out of deforested land in New Zealand acceptable to the environmental NGOs and yet palm oil, an agricultural product from Malaysia is demonized?

In truth, the extent of deforestation was far more extensively carried out in New Zealand and indeed in all the countries of the industrialized west when compared to Malaysia."

Yet these NGOs have the temerity to selectively criticize developing countries when the land clearance is more widespread and starkly obvious in countries of the developed west.

Forests, be they temperate or tropical are valuable for sequestering CO2 to prevent global warming. So it is certainly intriguing that only tropical forests are singled out for preservation. Why, total world acreage planted with palm oil is less than 1% of the world agricultural area.

In the circumstances, it is certainly a stretch for the agitators to allege that palm oil is "the most environmentally destructive."

It should be observed that consumers worldwide HAVE decided with their credit carts and checkbooks in making palm oil the most popular and fastest growing edible oil in the world. Could this be the real motive behind the anti-palm oil movement?

Could the real reason for Nature Alert and other green NGOs' discomfiture with palm oil be the fact that palm oil is:

1. the most productive of all edible oils and thus inherently the most sustainable
2. inherently healthful as it is naturally rich in anti-oxidants like tocotrienols, Co Q10 and beta-carotenes (which is why the oil is naturally red in colour)
3. the cheapest cooking oil in the world due to its incredible yield and because of its price advantage is now increasingly popular as a feedstock for biodiesel.

Nature Alert is also ignorant of the recent ruling by Malaysia's highest court affirming the land rights of indigenous people exposes the lie that native people are being displaced with impunity. A panel of three Federal Court judges unanimously ruled that tribes have customary ownership of land they have lived on for generations and state governments cannot take it from them without compensation.

It is time that the main stream media wake up to the fact that these anti-palm oil campaigns are really cleverly disguised proxy trade wars conducted by these "green" NGOs.

In the view of the Palm Oil Truth Foundation, the palm oil deforestation charges made by these "green" NGOs is probably one of the greatest hoaxes carried out in recent time against an inherently sustainable commodity!

Alan Oxley of World Growth should be commended for having the courage to call a spade a spade and expose the "green" NGOs for their incongruous and irreconcilable stance against palm oil in trying to deny developing countries the avenue to alleviate poverty and develop their economies. This is a clear violation of Agenda 21 of the RIO Earth Summit in 1992 which prescribes that any global strategy to tackle climate change should not undermine the capacity of developing countries to raise living standards of the millions still living in poverty!

The World Growth's program is based on five principles:
1. Alleviating Poverty through Wealth Creation: Palm oil provides developing nations and the
poor a path out of poverty.
2. Sustainable Development: Sustainable development of palm oil in developing nations can
and will be achieved through collaboration with industry, growers, and the wider community.
3. Climate and the Environment: Palm oil is a highly efficient, high yielding source of food and fuel, providing an efficient way of producing fossil fuel alternatives and capturing carbon from the atmosphere.
4. Opportunity and Prosperity: Developing nations must be allowed the chance to grow and develop without political intervention by environmental groups or developed nations.
5. Property Rights: Growing demand for palm oil world-wide give smaller land holders in
developing countries greater opportunities to make a living off their land, maintain their
ownership and support their rights to property and prosperity.

Read in this context, palm oil is certainly part of the solution and not part of the problem. Are the "green" NGOs the ones in denial? THE END

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Palm Oil Truth Foundation (TRUTH Foundation) is an international non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation, without strings to the world of commerce and power. We are a people organisation, organised for the people and founded upon the principles of integrity and responsibility as a global citizen with the sole purpose of representing TRUTH to the global community about health, environmental and economic benefits of palm oil.

The TRUTH Foundation is an international network of social conscience and cooperation among peoples in industry, government, academia and the ordinary global consuming public, strengthening the forces devoted to respect, justice and equality for a more just and sustainable world and for global peace.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/palm-oil-starsuckers-and-media-manipulation.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/palm-oil-starsuckers-and-media-manipulation.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:24:36 -0600
Both stories appeared in the pages of Britain's tabloid press. Neither is true.

The two incidents were fake showbiz news tips phoned into newspapers by the makers of the new documentary "Starsuckers," to see whether they would be used without fact-checking. The fact that they were forms part of the movie's argument that the culture of celebrity has undermined journalistic standards and warped society's values.

The sad thing is that the media is guilty of the same level of journalistic negligence in respect of the anti-palm oil lobby, often running stories fed to it by "environmental NGOs" such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth (FOE) on palm oil and deforestation without fact checking.

One of the worst offenders in this regard are the tabloid press and broadsheets in the United Kingdom, often regurgitating and publishing NGO "reports" alleging that the palm oil industry is environmentally the most destructive.

However, if the British tabloid press and broadsheets had bothered to do any fact checking they'd have discovered that the truth is far removed from the hype!

Malaysia is a small country. Yet the fact that the country had, for more than a century been the world's largest producer of palm oil should have alerted the media to the glaring incongruity of Greenpeace and FOE's charge that palm oil is responsible for an alarming degree of environmental degradation, harming the habitats of orangutan and other forms of wildlife.

The fact of the matter is that palm oil does not require quite as much land to produce the same unit of edible oil as its competitors such as soy, rapeseed or sunflower. That is largely down to the fact that palm oil is a remarkably productive tree crop, so productive that a single hectare of palm oil planted could yield 4-5 metric tons of edible oil. That is close to 10 times the yield of its nearest competitor.

That explains why Malaysia could, after more than a century of planting palm oil still retain permanent forest cover of 56%, FAR HIGHER THAN the typical forest cover of 20 odd per cent found in the countries of the industrial west, from which the gratingly sanctimonious Greenpeace and FOE hail! (Malaysia had made a pledge at the Rio Earth Summit some 15 years ago to preserve 50% of its land as natural forest.)

Says the CEO of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Tan Sri Dr. Yusof Basiron: "Malaysia plays an important role in a green energy future. Our land use policies, coupled with the additional tree cover due to the oil palm, rubber, cocoa and coconut industries mean that the nation is a net carbon sink. This stands in stark contrast with many nations in Europe that are net C02 emitters."

He continues: "The Malaysian palm oil industry has been an enthusiastic supporter of its nation's efforts to protect its natural endowments while helping the nation to grow and raise living standards. Indeed, Malaysia could not have realized its environmental goals without the cooperation of the industry."

"The palm oil industry remains an important driver of sustainable economic growth and job creation. The industry now employs over 400,000 people - up from 80,000 in the 1980s - even as the majority of the nation's forests remain protected by the government. If this is not the very model of sustainable development and responsible environmental stewardship, then no such example exists in this world," he pointed out.

In the view of the Palm Oil Truth Foundation, the media should be wary of the fact that the charges of Greenpeace and FOE is really a cleverly disguised proxy trade war fought against the palm oil industry using the Trojan horse of environmental issues! Could the fact that palm oil is the cheapest and fastest growing edible oil in the world have contributed to the suppression of the prices of its competitor commodities?

Could this have triggered this incongruous, irreconcilable and incomprehensible onslaught against a commodity that is, after all one of the most inherently sustainable, on account of its productivity! THE END

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Palm Oil Truth Foundation (TRUTH Foundation) is an international non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation, without strings to the world of commerce and power. We are a people organisation, organised for the people and founded upon the principles of integrity and responsibility as a global citizen with the sole purpose of representing TRUTH to the global community about health, environmental and economic benefits of palm oil.

The TRUTH Foundation is an international network of social conscience and cooperation among peoples in industry, government, academia and the ordinary global consuming public, strengthening the forces devoted to respect, justice and equality for a more just and sustainable world and for global peace.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/climate-change-palm-oil-and-poverty-eradication.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/climate-change-palm-oil-and-poverty-eradication.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:17:01 -0600
In a basic sense Jackman is right. Rich societies can cope with changes to climate. Poor ones cannot. Subsistence farmers will struggle more with any global warming than accountants in suburban Australia. But for all the talk of climate aid and sustainable self-sufficiency, the developing world needs to do just one thing to successfully adapt to climate changes: get on with developing.

But the political demands in developed nations for inspiring, grand, historic, operatic action on global warming are putting those stodgy old targets of economic growth in developing countries on the backburner.

Jackman inadvertently gave an illustration of why. Admitting his wolverine claws and mutant powers would be ineffective against climate change, he told of an Ethiopian coffee farmer converting methane from his cows into gas for electric lighting.

It's a great story. It's wonderful to hear of anyone using their resources more productively, particularly where those resources are at such a premium. But it misses the point. A greater thing to celebrate would be the coffee farmer being connected to the power grid, or wealthy enough to get decent medical care or education. Or when he is wealthy enough to pay others to generate electricity for him.

Industrialisation and economic growth in Africa and Asia no longer seem a universally agreed goal. Instead, some see it as a potential threat, if not carefully supervised by the West. If growth is to occur, aid agencies believe it must follow a strictly delineated path of sustainability and low emissions.

This new attitude has some dire consequences. According to a new study by World Growth, a non-government organisation, the share of aid directed to economic growth has fallen from 28 per cent 10 years ago to just 12 per cent today. Instead, aid is being focused on social and environmental aims.

The more priorities, the less likely anything will be done. It's not thrilling to hear the United Nations, the European Union and many national governments repackaging foreign aid as "climate aid". The EU plans to offer the developing world €15 billion ($25.4 billion) of climate aid as a sweetener to play ball at Copenhagen. This builds on the host of new programs and agencies distributing climate-specific aid - such as the UN's Clean Development Mechanism and Global Environment Facility, or the World Bank's Carbon Finance Unit and Carbon Investment Funds.

With sufficient economic growth, the developing world can cope with the stresses of a changing climate and any number of the other stresses: chronic malnutrition, infant mortality, illiteracy and many diseases we believe to be "tropical" today, such as malaria, but are the consequences of extreme poverty. These problems could be exacerbated by climate changes, but they are problems right now. Only wealth can alleviate them.

From an environmental perspective, we should push for rapid economic growth in the developing world. Wealthy societies are cleaner; the technology to reduce pollution is as much a product of economic growth as the pollution is in the first place. First World factories are cleaner, more efficient, and healthier for their workers than Third World factories. Local industrial pollution in the developing world can be devastating.

Poverty is a dog of a problem. And foreign aid has always been an imperfect way to fixing it. Aid has congealed bureaucracies at the expense of the poor and funded the lavish lifestyles of oppressive dictators.

Nevertheless, a few years ago the theory and practice of overseas aid was getting somewhere. Encouraging development was not as simple as funnelling money from treasuries in the First World to treasuries in the Third World.

More important is allowing nations to build the institutions and legal frameworks that organically grow a productive economy. And we know trade liberalisation, deregulation and open markets are extraordinarily powerful drivers of growth.

Climate aid is just another illustration of what the economist William Easterly calls development paternalism: a belief well-paid international experts, equipped with enough power and resources, should take the third world's destiny under their benevolent wings.

When those experts shift their priorities from economic growth to sustainability, they make it less likely they will achieve either. Unfortunately, as the Copenhagen looms, it seems the "right to develop" is no longer absolute.

In the view of Deforestation Watch,it is refreshing that writers such as Chris Berg is bringing to the debate a rare breath of intellectual vigor and rigor and sheer common sense that has been missing for too long. Could this be the beginning of a new era where the palm oil and climate change debate can be conducted in an air of fair, reasoned and modulated manner without the histrionics, hyperbole and melodrama so favored by the likes of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth?

For a commodity like palm oil that has not only demonstated that it has played a leading role in eradicating poverty in the counties in which it has grown and yet has been so sustainable on account of its inherent incredible productivity that eclipses those of its competitors to face so much flak illustrates just how muddled the thinking of its critics have become. THE END.


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Deforestation Watch was established to drive sustainability mainstream. Striving to be a center of green news, solutions and all things green, we also help corporations looking for green guidance. In a nutshell, we live green through education and pro-active action!

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/the-tide-is-turning-towards-palm-oil.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/the-tide-is-turning-towards-palm-oil.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:12:12 -0600
This is the first research paper of the IPA's Sustainable Development campaign conceived by the Intellectual Property and Free Trade Unit at the IPA.

Says Tim Wilson: "Misguided campaigns by the Melbourne and Auckland Zoos and activists lack understanding of why forest and orang-utans are being lost. It isn't palm oil it's poverty."

"The evidence is clear that if you want to reduce environmental degradation the best option is poverty reduction by giving people, especially in poor rural communities, a sustainable livelihood".

"Sustainable development is delivered through environmental, social and economically sustainable policy solutions, not cutting off people's livelihoods".

"Millions of people are trapped in poverty in Asia, and they're trying to improve their economic wellbeing, especially in rural communities through farming. Palm oil is grown because it is an efficient, high-yield, in-demand agriculture commodity that poor farmers can grow to lift themselves out of poverty".

"Palm oil is in high demand around the world, including in other poor countries. Reduced consumption in developed countries will only lead to increased availability and consumption in the developing world, but poor farmers will simply get a smaller return".

"If palm oil is blocked other lower yield seeds will simply be substituted, and they'll take up more land to produce less".

"If developed world activists want to attack the cause of deforestation and the loss of orang-utan populations they should attack poverty, not its solution - sustainable development", Wilson said.

"Opposition to palm oil seems to have reached fever pitch in Australia. Celebrity television campaigns, guerilla activists and the predictable environmental lobby seem hell bent on getting palm oil out of our food and off our supermarket shelves. Why?" he asked.

"Palm oil has become one of the world's most popular edible oils in the last 25 years, and its affordability has made it a popular additive in cosmetics and other non-food and fuel products requiring oils and binders."

"Palm oil is primarily a product amenable to development in the humid tropics. Since most countries with a humid, tropical climate are still developing, its production is one of the essential industries to boost GDP and the economic lot of the poor," Wilson pointed out.

Wilson observes: "Critics have gone so far as to demand that its use be boycotted or banned, with limitations placed upon its advertising and marketing. They have taken a particularly aggressive stance against suggestions that its development or use can be sustainable."

"From a broader perspective, this antagonistic approach only risks creating further tension in international trade as countries try and seek conclusions in the WTO to increase access for developing world products into developed markets, like Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the European Union," he wrote.

"And it is a South-South traded product as well. Much of the developing world - India and China in particular - is a major consumer of palm oil. And since palm oil is a cheap and reliable food source, these growing economies are not about to do without them. Oil consumption in the developing world is double that of the developed world and it is increasing at a rate about a third faster, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization. Any ban on palm oil won't stop overall consumption, but will likely increase sales to developing countries who'll take advantage of any price reductions because it is in less demand in rich countries," he argued.

"Policy makers and consumers need to sort through the myths on palm oil, and recognize that a proper analysis of the concerns of activists would revel that the problems of deforestation are not caused by palm oil, they are caused by poverty. Scrapping palm oil won't stop the poor wanting to lift themselves up. They'll just grow a different commodity instead. The best thing consumers can do is promote consumption of sustainable palm oil, not banning it all together," proposed Wilson.

In the view of Deforestation Watch, this paper by the IPA coming on the heels of World Growth International's pronouncement that the anti-palm oil campaigns are misguided should be lauded for its clarity of thought and totally objective analysis of the issues. This is a welcome change from the often emotive, antagonistic and inflammatory hype so favored by the likes of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth!

Is the tide finally turning towards palm oil? THE END.

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Deforestation Watch was established to drive sustainability mainstream. Striving to be a center of green news, solutions and all things green, we also help corporations looking for green guidance. In a nutshell, we live green through education and pro-active action!

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/help-the-environment-and-your-bank-balance-through-your-use-of-electricity.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/help-the-environment-and-your-bank-balance-through-your-use-of-electricity.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:03:37 -0500
To really answer the above question you need to take a look at your property in a different manner, starting with the measures you should be taking to conserve energy. Insulating is the most effective way of conserving energy in your home and luckily there are a number of ways in which this can be achieved. Some prime examples of this are double glazing, attic insulation and floor board insulation; you basically need to take the appropriate steps to ensure that heat isn't lost from your home. The end result of doing this means that the time dedicated to using aspects such as central heating and plug in radiators or electric blankets etc is dramatically reduced, saving you money as heat is contained for longer in your property.

It is estimated that heating is one of the biggest uses of electricity but another contender comes in the form of appliances and unfortunately there are certain appliances within your home that need to be kept on, one of the biggest examples of this is your refrigerator. Your refrigerator accounts for 20% of your household electricity use. Thankfully there are a few steps that you can take to reduce this energy use down slightly, for example you should aim to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37 degrees and your freezer as close to 3 degrees as possible, on top of this it is also important to ensure your energy saver switch is turned on.

The more ways in which you can find to save electricity, the more you are helping the environment by saving energy and fossil fuels. This will also have an automatic effect on your bank balance for the fact it will cut the cost of your electricity bill. So to help you help the environment and your bank balance you should also aim to set your clothes washer to either a warmer or colder setting. It has been estimated that by switching your washer setting from hot to warm for two loads per week can save nearly 500 pounds of CO2 per year if you have an electric water heater, or 150 pounds for a gas heater.

There are a number of advantages associated with cutting down on your use of electricity, you will be delivering long-term financial rewards and helping the environment but on top of this you will also be making your home a lot more comfortable, so what are you waiting for? Change your electricity habits and help change the environment today.


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Simply Energy is a leading electricity supplier, electricity provider and electricity company in Melbourne and Adelaide Australia. Simply energy has been developing leading Green energy plans to help with environmental issues. Simply Energy is one of the only electricity suppliers that offers no lock in contracts.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/help-cut-your-electricity-bills-with-a-few-simple-steps.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/help-cut-your-electricity-bills-with-a-few-simple-steps.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:43:26 -0500
There are a number of ways in which we are able to cut our electricity bills and save ourselves some money, take for example our lighting situation. Ceiling and wall lights as well as stand alone lamps and desktop lamps are all consumers of electricity. During the day there should however be no reason what so ever to turn any of these on, you should be relying on natural light to brighten up your property, however there will of course be some situations where your home doesn't supply enough natural light, in situations such as this you should make a point to only turn on one light at a time; basically only use what you truly need to and also turn the lighting source off before you leave the room.

Lighting stands as merely a small percentage of the electricity that we use on a daily basis, on top of this we have to think about the electrical appliances that we make use of. Televisions, DVD players, CD players, hair irons, microwaves, kettles, phone chargers and coffee machines as well as computers; how many of these appliances are currently plugged in at your home? Just because you are not using an appliance that is on standby or switched on doesn't mean it isn't using electricity, what it is doing is in fact worse, it is wasting electricity. Although it is convenient to leave these items plugged in and turned on so they are ready for when we want to use them again it is pushing up your energy bills. If in fact you went around your home and unplugged all of these items you have the potential of saving yourself a lot of money.

What you should be aiming to do where your appliances are concerned is as soon as you have finished using something, turn it off and unplug it, regardless of whether you are going to be using said item later on in the day. It is also a good idea to do a check around your home to ensure that all of the items you have been using throughout the day are unplugged before you go anywhere. You shouldn't leave anything electrical running unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.

With energy bills continually on the rise and the economic climate that we find ourselves in, there has never been a more appropriate time to cut down on the amount of electricity that we are using. So ensure that you keep the above in mind, points such as these should be used as your starting point where saving money is concerned and remember you will also be helping the environment; just another advantage that cutting your energy bills will ensure.


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Simply Energy is a leading electricity supplier, electricity provider and electricity company in Melbourne and Adelaide Australia. Simply energy has been developing leading Green energy plans to help with environmental issues. Simply Energy is one of the only electricity suppliers that offers no lock in contracts.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/electricity-and-the-environment.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/environment/electricity-and-the-environment.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:26:11 -0500
By burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas we are adding to the greenhouse gas that is in the atmosphere, which is then contributing to the problem of global warming, this is thanks to aspects such as carbon dioxide and other emissions. Steps have already been taken to start to combat this problem; this is thanks to the small amount of electricity that is now being generated by hydro schemes such as rivers, dams, ocean waves and tides. On top of this some of our electricity is now generated through the use of wind power and solar power. These sources of electrical energy are great for the environment as they produce almost no carbon dioxide or harmful emissions. However these sources of energy aren't available to all of us so what else can we be doing to minimize our power usage?

Electrical appliances make up a lot of aspects of our daily lives because of this we are continually using a lot of electricity; however there are a number of things that we can be doing to decrease the amount of electricity that we are actually using, take for example our computers, I guarantee that for convenience a lot of us are leaving our machines turned on or leaving them on standby. This may save you time when it comes to turning your computer back on but it certainly isn't doing you any favors where your electricity bill is concerned or where the environment is concerned. You are wasting so much energy when you leave appliances on standby, especially when it doesn't take much to simply turn things off.

As our demand for electricity increases so does the potential damage to our environment, this is why it is important that we use electricity efficiently and gain our supply from the greenest providers possible. This is especially important considering the fact remains that fossil fuels will eventually run out so we need a replacement for our energy needs. Until then we simply need to change our approach to the amount of energy that we are consuming through the way in which we are using it, as I have already mentioned this should include aspects such as powering down computers. Basically any electricity that doesn't need to be in use should be turned off so make sure that nothing is left on that doesn't need to be on.

Any small steps that you can take to reduce the amount of electricity you are using should be taken so keep this in mind next time you are about to leave a light on or think about leaving something on standby and then think about the amount of energy and money you will saving if you do the right thing and turn them off.


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Simply Energy is a leading electricity supplier, electricity provider and electricity company in Melbourne and Adelaide Australia. Simply energy has been developing leading Green energy plans to help with environmental issues. Simply Energy is one of the only electricity suppliers that offers no lock in contracts.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>