The problem with palm oil – Orang Utans on brink of extinction

Rescued orangutans find sanctuary

BBC Panorama documentary:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_8518000/8518752.stm

Chingo and Jojo are just two of the thousands of orangutans whose lives have been blighted by the destruction of the Indonesian rainforest. Panorama followed their journey from rescue to re-homing.

But what does the future hold for man's closest relative? Demand for palm oil found in many products sold in British supermarkets is feeding the industry that threatens to wipe out an entire species.

Benn: 'Power lies with shoppers'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_8518000/8518843.stm

Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told Panorama that it is up to consumers to send manufacturers a message about sourcing palm oil that does not threaten the endangered orangutan or contribute to destruction of the rainforest.

In January, Mr Benn announced that DEFRA will be undertaking the first research project of its kind to assess the UK's relationship with palm oil, including how much is consumed and where it is used most, including government procurement.

He said that working with business, the government will attempt to map the palm oil supply chain to the UK in a bid to help shift Britain's supply to sustainable sources.

Panorama: Dying for a Biscuit, BBC One, Monday 22 February, 2010, 8.30pm.

Plant a tree for every book you read

Balance your books
No – I'm not branching out into bookkeeping! But through a writing friend (and Writers' News, http://www.writersnews.co.uk) I have heard of a neat scheme for book lovers to go green by helping plant a tree for every book they read. This is what I found at http://www.ecolibris.net :

"Every book you read was once a tree. Now you can plant a tree for every book you read.
"Make a positive impact with Eco-Libris. It's Only Natural.

"Hey, we know you love books. Who doesn't? But what about all the trees that are used to produce the paper for these books? About 20 million trees are being cut down EVERY YEAR to produce the books sold in the U.S. alone. What can you do about it? Well, here's a suggestion: stop reading... NO, NO. just kiddin'.
"A better solution would be to start planting trees for all the books you read. To let you do just that, we thought up Eco-Libris, a means to balance out the paper in your books by planting trees. To maximize your impact, the trees will be planted in developing countries benefiting both the environment and local communities.
"For every book you balance out, we will send you an Eco-Libris sticker to put on your book cover, displaying your commitment to sustainability and perhaps even inspiring others to become more responsible about their use of natural resources (in case you were wondering - the sticker is made of recycled paper with non-toxic ink… oh, and the thank you note too, and yeah, even the envelope).
So let’s take the first steps towards sustainable reading, together. It’s simple, it’s affordable, and there’s no need to wait, you can do it right now."

Go to the Eco-Libris website for online selection of numbers of books/trees and payment. Simple!