tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9872787.post112575865845360056..comments2020-07-01T08:06:22.247+02:00Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9872787.post-1146828883131547212006-05-05T13:34:00.000+02:002006-05-05T13:34:00.000+02:00Update on the Bornean Border Plantation<BR/><BR/>The megaplantation that is currently being proposed, funded by Chinese investors, has now doubled in size to roughly 3,300,000 hectares...<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile the Indonesian government recognises that it needs to rehabilitate 56,000,000 ha of degraded forest. Around 25,000,000 ha of land is totally destroyed and palm oil cultivation here would actually help restore hydrology, bring work to destitute local people who lost all forms of income when their forests were cleared. It would also interupt the new annual burn cycle that puts the alang alang grass fields up in smoke, and poses risks to surrounding forests...<BR/><BR/>Its all a bit crazy. Meanwhile good forest is being cut down for conversion to plantation - providing an innitial 40% windfall in timber revenues, and much valued up fornt cash, since the plantations will take about 4 years to turn a profit.<BR/><BR/>6,000 orangutans a year are being lost out of a combined total of about 60,000 (including the Bornean and Sumatran species).<BR/><BR/>Money, money, money... and it is crazy because it would not cost us, the end consumer, that much more if we pushed for sustainable palm oil, a product found in 1 in 10 supermarket products in the UK now.<BR/><BR/>So... what is to be done? Well everyone needs to be asking their supermarkets to take responsible action. We also need to ask our governments to provide some help to companies who are going to be responsible, because this damn free market is obviously going to favour those who have these early profits...<BR/><BR/>Come and find out more, and see some of the work we're doing on palm oil and orangutans: www.cockroach.org.uk<BR/><BR/>We're looking for keen campaigners, people who will spread the word, write articles, blogs, letters. It really is a critical time for the orangutan, and the millions of people who's livlihood is threatened by the total land clearance brought about by plantation development, have a look at our photo albums to see some of the extent of the damage.<BR/><BR/>Please drop us a line if you can help,<BR/><BR/>Nick Lyon,<BR/>Director, Orangutan Film Protection Project<BR/>nick@cockroach.org.uk<BR/>www.cockroach.org.ukFilms4Conservationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14207896610463904988noreply@blogger.com