News

Palm Oil is the Greatest Current Threat to Orangutans
By xx.Amina.xx
July 1, 2008

The Australian Orangutan Project

Adopt an OrangutanVisit the Orangutan in the wildAustralian Orangutan Project
All information and images courtesy of the Australian Orangutan Project, website:  www.orangutan.org.a

Palm Oil is the Greatest Current Threat to Orangutans

Palm Oil is an ingredient used in many cosmetic formulations and food, with over 1 million kilograms of Palm Oil imported into Australia each year this affects all of us.

Vast areas of habitat are cleared for Palm Oil plantations every day. Protecting this land is critical to the Orangutans survival.

Read the label: use products that do not contain Palm Oil and if it is used then it must clearly state that it does not come from plantations that affect the Orangutans.

The Australian Orangutan Project (aop) is a non profit organisation, run by volunteers. They are sponsored by Perth Zoo, Australia Zoo, Auckland Zoo, the RSPCA, AOP members and people just like You.

 

What is the issue that The Australian Orangutan Project (aop) is trying to deal with?

The orangutans' rainforest is disappearing at an overwhelming rate with the remaining forest being degraded by drought and forest fires.


Extinction in the Wild is likely to be 2010 for Sumatran Orangutans and 2015 for Bornean Orangutans

We need to recognise the massive amount of suffering being inflicted on a species that is 97% genetically identical to humans.

Orangutans are highly intelligent animals. Their intelligence is comparable to that of a five or six year old child. Surely these self-aware animals deserve the right to live and to be free from torture and exploitation?

Protecting the Orangutans

Protecting the orangutan also protects the surrounding ecosystem and myriad of endangered and exotic species. Saving the orangutan saves the forest. None of us want to have to tell our children or grandchildren that we were around for the last decade of the Orangutans but we weren't quite able to get our act together to save them.

The Australian Orangutan Project is a non-profit organisation

The Australian Orangutan Project supports many orangutan conservation organizations. AOP is a non profit organisation staffed by volunteers to raise funds and collect donations for Orangutan Conservation and habitat protection. Other than part-time administrative support, there are no salaries paid to AOP volunteers whose services are donated. Therefore a very high percentage of your donations go straight to organisations involved in the active welfare of Orangutans and on habitat protection.

Mission Statement

" To ensure the survival of both Sumatran and Bornean orangutan species in their natural habitat and promote the welfare of all orangutans "

Action Plan

1. To raise funds and other support to assist in situ orangutan projects in their conservation and welfare work.
2. To raise awareness of the need to preserve orangutan populations in their natural habitat and the intrinsic value of individual orangutans


Click Here to download the Palm Oil Action Group Brochure (1.2Mb)
Click here for the Palm Oil Action Group letter writing kit
Click here for the Palm Oil Action Group petition for compulsory labelling of palm oil ingredients
Click Here to download the letter to petition Natural Fuels Australia Limited to stop using Palm Oil
Click Here to download the letter to Frank Sator to petition against the proposed Biodiesel plant at Port Botany

What you can do

Here are some suggested actions you can take to help protect the orangutan's habitat:

  • Write to your Federal Member and demand that they legislate to make Palm Oil labelling mandatory.
  • Write to the Malaysian and Indonesian Embassies and ask them what they are doing to stop Palm Oil from destroying Orangutan habitat.
  • Write to any food or cosmetic supplier that lists VEGETABLE OIL as an ingredient and ask them if they use Palm Oil. If so what are they doing to ensure that it doesn't affect Orangutans habitat.
  • CLICK HERE FOR IDEAS FOR YOUR LETTER
JOIN THE AUSTRALIAN ORANGUTAN PROJECT - CLICK HERE
VISIT THE SHOP AND BUY GIFTS OR MAKE A DONATION OR ADOPT AN ORANGUTAN



What are we doing to help?
Nature's Philosophy supports the use of ethical Palm Oil grown from Plantations that do not harm the Orangutans nor their existence.

We pledge to contact each and every cosmetic company listed in our Natural Beauty Directory and our existing contacts:
  • We will raise their awareness on this vital project
  • Ask companies where their Palm Oil comes from and if they aware of the damaging effects of unethically farmed Palm Oil 
  • Ask companies if any of their products contain Palm Oil, is it ethically farmed
  • We will ask cosmetic companies to source 100% cruelty-free and ethical Palm Oil
  • Remind companies that this issue is of great importance to their customers and that we would all like to see ethically farmed Palm Oil used solely in Australia and for labelling laws to state where the Palm Oil comes from
  • We will ask everyone to tell a friend about this project and to get involved
This is our pledge at Nature's Philosophy. We will keep you posted from time to time with updates on our pledge, click on the link in the menu bar to subscribe now.