“Animals…are like us in so many ways. They want to grow up free and raise their families in a world that is safe. And if we let them disappear from this Earth then a part of us will disappear too….where they’ll live happily ever after depends on us.” Morgan Freeman

Last week I wrote about trees.  We lose 48 football fields of forest every minute. What I did not say is that palm oil is one of the key drivers of rainforest and tropical deforestation worldwide. The next time you eat a cookie or a bag of chips take a look at the ingredients. If there is palm oil in it, do not buy it. Entire forests are being mowed down to plant palm trees. And when that happens animals such as the orangutans lose their homes. Sadly, orangutans are at risk of extinction in the next 25 years. There are precious few left. Estimates put the number at 40,000 living in Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are a risk because of habitat loss, illegal hunting, and an illegal pet trade.

Orangutans are beautiful, highly intelligent creatures with feelings. Tragically, they have lost more than 80% of their natural environment in the last 20 years and about one-third of the population died during the fires of 1997-98.

You can join me and help the orangutans. Do not buy food with palm oil in it. Avoid clothes made of rayon. And do not purchase tropical plywood, teak, sandalwood or ebony. Palm oil based products are identified by many names listed below.

Please, join me and make a difference for the orangutans. Their future is at stake.

PALM OIL BASED PRODUCTS:
Cetyl Palmitate and Octyl Palmitate
Elaeis Guineensis (Taxonomic name for palm oil)
Hexadecylic or Palmitic Acid
Hydrated Palm Glycerides
Palm Oil Kernel
Palmate
Palmitate
Anything with Palmitate at the end

LIKELY TO BE PALM OIL:
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emulsifier 422, 430-36, 470-8, 481-483, 493-5
Glyceryl Stearate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylaye
Sodium Laureth Sulphate
Sodium Lauryl Sulphates
Steareth – 2 & Steareth – 20
Stearic Acid Vegetable Oil