Top Ramen/Cup Noodles – Contains Palm Oil — Member of RSPO (Yawn)

Nissin Cup Noddles before preparation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Although I rarely ate it in college myself, those college food staples — Top Ramen and Cup Noodles – contain palm oil.  Proof that it’s freakin’ everywhere.  My employer, a small company that tries to emulate the Silicon Valley big boys, like Google, whenever possible provides snacks and food to its employees.  It’s a very sweet, morale-building gesture that I admire very much.  Unfortunately, much of these snacks also have the dubious distinction of containing palm oil.  I saw two big boxes of Cup Noodles today in the kitchen, reached for one cup a bit hungry, and was shocked to see palm oil in the ingredients (not really, actually).  So I promptly put it back and quickly wrote the Japanese noodle company Nissin an email.  Here’s their lightning quick response (sent in the short time it took me to press “send” and to go/return from my garaged car with my “Beware, this Product May Cause Orangutan Extinction” stickers to plaster on said box).

Thank you for contacting us regarding Nissin products.  We appreciate the time you took to share your views with us.

We use only the finest ingredients to provide the very best taste.  All the ingredients used in our products are approved by the government as safe for consumption.  Additionally, all of our Palm Oil suppliers belong to the  RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)  www.rspo.com.

We welcome feedback from consumers and will forward your comments to our Research & Development department.  Thank you for your interest in our products.

RSPO membership means absolutely nothing these days (see below links).  Even the WWF (a co-founder of RSPO) has asked for more than mere membership and RSPO certification now, ever since the RSPO just allowed the “sustainable” label to be used in conjunction with secondary deforestation in Indonesia.  What absolute rubbish that is.

I will ask the nice person who stocks our company kitchen to reconsider the Cup Noodles purchase (and Mrs. Field’s cookies).  Sorry fellow employees.  We don’t have the luxury of time on our side.

Related articles

• Memo to WWF: Destroying rainforests and peatland for palm oil is not “sustainable” (climate-connections.org)
• Why ‘RSPO Sustainable Palm Oil’ is not responsible (understory.ran.org)
• Avoid Products That Contain Unsustainable Palm Oil (gettingonmysoapbox.wordpress.com)
• Greenpeace statement: RSPO revisions too little and too late (dominicantoday.com)

Avoid Products That Contain Unsustainable Palm Oil

There’s a stickering campaign going on at your local supermarkets this month, warning clueless shoppers of how their seemingly innocent purchasing decisions have dire, unintended consequences. Unsustainably produced palm oil is destroying rainforests and the species who inhabit them.

http://ran.org/palm-oil

Look for these stickers — and for god’s sake BOYCOTT (UNSUSTAINABLE) PALM OIL — and notify those corporations who purchase it, especially after what the RSPO did last week (labeling as “sustainable” palm oil derived from rainforest destruction).

http://gettingonmysoapbox.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/why-the-roundtable-on-sustainable-palm-oil-is-full-of-shit/

 

 

Related articles

• http://ran.org/sites/default/files/palm_oil_grassroots_toolkit.pdf
• http://events.ran.org/palmoilstickers/
• Why The Roundtable On Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is Full of Shit (gettingonmysoapbox.wordpress.com)
• Your Supermarket is Selling Rainforest Destruction! Get the Facts On Palm Oil and the US Snack Food Industry. (understory.ran.org)
• Memo to WWF: Destroying rainforests and peatland for palm oil is not “sustainable” (climate-connections.org)
• Why ‘RSPO Sustainable Palm Oil’ is not responsible (understory.ran.org)

Central African Republic: Where Poachers Are The Government

English: Elephant head with removed tusks Elephant killed By poachers, Voi area, Kenya Deutsch: Elefantenschädel mit entfernten Stoßzähnen Gewilderter Elefant(Tarnung durch Äste etc.), Voi Distrikt Kenia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What we feared happened.

News spread from the WWF last Monday that 17 heavily-armed poachers, calling themselves members of the new coup-installed Seleka ruling elite, entered a protected elephant preserve, called the “Valley of Elephants.”  Badly-armed and fearful (for good reason) game rangers knew what was coming:  they heard rifle shots in the direction of where from 50 to 200 elephants congregate every day to drink nutrients from the sands.   But there seemed to be a news blackout for the following silent days.

The grim, infuriating news finally came from the WWF:  At least 26 elephants were massacred, on top of the slaughter that already has occurred this year, to meet the fucking ridiculous Asian demand for ivory.

At least 26 elephant carcasses, including four calves, were counted in and around the Dzanga Bai on May 9, WWF officials said. All had had their tusks removed, Jules Caron, head of communications for the WWF’s anti-poaching program in Central Africa, confirmed to LiveScience.

WWF

Populations of forest elephants have plummeted by 62 percent over the past 10 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Wildlife representatives described the Dzanga Bai scene as an “elephant mortuary,” and it was evident that local villagers had started taking meat from the remains of the dead animals, they added. [Elephant Images: The Biggest Beasts on Land

http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/elephants-killed-poachers-central-africa-20130513

I’m at my wit’s end.  What can we do when the poachers become the government?

I am helpless and hopeless in the wake of such atrocities.  The way NGOs have been dealing with this disturbing increase in poaching no longer works in the face of such barbarism.  These methods are as anachronistic as the mystical Asian demand for ivory.

It’s time for an “eye for an eye.”

There must be serious discussions about raising donations to out-arm the rangers, killing poachers on sight and inflicting real world deterrence measures
to end this madness.

Seriously.

Unless Asian demand is curtailed, which won’t happen anytime soon, there are no other effective solutions.

That time has passed.

Where can I donate to arm the rangers and to pay them better than the poachers do?

Where can I volunteer to help kill the poachers?

A wildlife official quoted in the top notch National Geographic article below said it best:

“At the end of the day, one of two things will end poaching,” Huijbregts added. “Either there is no more demand, or there are no more elephants. The choice is up to us.”

If it helps with any of the grief and sadness that we’re all feeling, know that at least one poacher WAS killed by his elephant target in Zimbabwe.  Finally, a poacher gets what he deserves — death.

Related articles

• Chaos and Confusion Following Elephant Poaching in a Central African World Heritage Site (newswatch.nationalgeographic.com)
• Poachers kill 26 elephants at central African world heritage site (guardian.co.uk)
• Elephant Tramples Poacher in Zimbabwe (livescience.com)
• Elephant tramples his would-be poacher to death in Zimbabwe (thestar.blogs.com)
• BLOODY IVORY Seventeen Poachers Armed with Kalashnikov Rifles Entered Dzanga-Ndoki National Park with ONE motivation: GREED (spiritandanimal.wordpress.com)

400 PPM — “HAPPY PLANTS”!?

Jim Inhofe, United States Senator photo portrait. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yes, these Deniers live among us — and even sit in the powerful U.S. Senate.

News came out last week that the world has, for the first time in millions of years, passed the 400 ppm mark for CO2 in the atmosphere. Instead of looking for ways to cut this pollution for future generations, instead, Deniers like Village Idiot James Inhofe and his spokesperson actually had the low IQ to say this:

Happy Plants

“The Earth has had many-times-higher levels of CO2 in the past,” said Marc Morano, former spokesman for Republican Senator James Inhofe and executive editor of Climate Depot, a blog that posts articles skeptical of climate change. “Americans should welcome the 400 parts-per-million threshold. This means that plants are going to be happy, and this means that global-warming fearmongers are going to be proven wrong.”

With low IQ, low information idiots running the Senate, why even fight it? Just sit back and let the world steep in its carbonized luxury.

Climate Denier Inhofe (who was a believer before he discovered the “cost” of fighting global warming) always incurs my wrath. Leave it to Oklahomans to elect him into office repeatedly (and Coburn). Here’s another post of mine on Born Again Christian (that’s his science) Village Idiot Inhofe:

http://gettingonmysoapbox.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/geezus-god-controls-the-climate-not-man/

Related articles

• http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/05/14/2008601/false-balance-lives-bloomberg-news-gives-equal-weight-to-climate-disinformer-and-scientists/
• Climate hits 400ppm of CO2 for first time in 3 million years (treehugger.com)
• Greenhouse gases hit threshold unseen in 3 million years. (bloomberg.com)
• Scientists: Climate change will create hundreds of millions of new homeless people (rawstory.com)

Why The Roundtable On Sustainable Palm Oil (And the WWF?) is Full of Shit

Boycott palm oil — even if companies claim to be members of the RSPO.    Because RSPO certification doesn’t mean shit.  Now we have proof.

What’s at Stake in Borneo (Photo credit: Rainforest Action Network)

We have always been very skeptical of the RSPO.  Not only has it done very little to stop the rampant destruction of rainforests for palm oil plantations over the years, but it is little more than a greenwashing vehicle for PR-minded corporations looking for “green” credentials to sell their environment-destroying products.

Well, if we didn’t need any more proof that the RSPO is full of shit, there’s this:  at a meeting in Kaula Lampur yesterday, the RSPO voted to actually call rainforest destruction “sustainable”.

…[A]t its Extraordinary General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the RSPO formally rejected longstanding calls from member companies, scientists and nonprofit organizations to stop certifying as “sustainable” palm oil produced through deforestation and other environmentally damaging practices like destruction of ultra carbon-rich peatland and use of highly poisonous chemicals like the notorious paraquat, which is linked to kidney failure, respiratory failure, skin cancer, and Parkinson’s disease.

This absurd RSPO action led the World Wildlife Federation – co-founder of the RSPO! – to issue this statement BEFORE the vote:

Because the review failed to accept strong, tough and clear performance standards within the P&Cs [RSPO Principles & Criteria] on issues like GHGs and pesticides, it is, unfortunately, no longer possible for producers or users of palm oil to ensure that they are acting responsibly simply by producing or using Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). Therefore WWF is now asking progressive companies to set and report on particular performance standards within the framework set by the new RSPO P&Cs.

Responsible growers are those that… — for new oil palm developments: full implementation of the RSPO New Plantings Procedure and zero‐net land use emissions over a single rotation, which will exclude cultivation on peat–soils and clearance of high carbon stock areas;

– for existing plantations and mills: significant annual GHG emissions reduction targets

– an end to the use of pesticides that are categorized as World Health Organization Class 1A or 1B, or that are listed by the Stockholm or Rotterdam Conventions, and paraquat…;”

Nevertheless, the WWF buckled.  It accepted this new BS rainforest-destroying “sustainable” criteria, voting for the new principles and  encouraging other members of the RSPO do so as well.  Here’s their statement:

[W]e 
believe 
that, 
on 
balance, 
the 
revised 
P&Cs 
do represent
 the 
best 
compromise 
for 
the 
RSPO 
and 
are 
better 
than 
the 
current
 RSPO 
standard. Therefore 
WWF 
will 
be 
voting 
to 
endorse 
them 
at 
the 
forthcoming 
RSPO 
General 
Assembly meeting. 

WWF 
recommends 
that
 other 
RSPO 
members 
do 
as 
well.

Man, do I hate that word — compromise.  The right wing crazies in the US don’t do it.  And neither should environmentalists.

How’s this for never trusting the RSPO again, the WWF – or any corporation that pretends to use RSPO membership as demonstrating their environmental commitments.

Bullshit.

Related articles

• Glenn Hurowitz: The Death of “Sustainability” (huffingtonpost.com)
• The Death of ‘Sustainability’ (desmogblog.com)
• Why ‘RSPO Sustainable Palm Oil’ is not responsible (understory.ran.org)
• Greenpeace statement: RSPO revisions too little and too late (dominicantoday.com)
• How rogue palm oil producers are getting away with forest destruction (greenpeace.org)

For What It’s Worth: Indonesia Forest Moratorium Extended

Zulkifli Hasan, Indonesian Minister of Forestry (Photo credit: CIFOR)

From the “for what it’s worth” department (nothing), apparently, Indonesia will be expanding their two year moratorium on deforestation.  Hurray!  Yeah right.  The corrupt, greedy government officials, and their greedy, corrupt business palm oil/paper/logging/mining interest-conspirators have really been handed a defeat…said absolutely nobody.

It’s clear that this two-year moratorium really hasn’t stopped rainforest and peatlands from being destroyed up to this point, so there’s little here about which to get excited.  On the flip side, can this still be read as a symbolic step that doesn’t seemingly kowtow to these evil business interests?  Given the sad state of Indonesian rainforest destruction in the face of this moratorium, this is probably just  a lot of more…ahem…hot air.  Indonesia has been burned before (both figuratively and literally) by their own federal, state and local governments, the crooked business interests, the toothless greenwashing RSPO…everybody but the orangutans who suffer in the face of such disgusting selfishness.  Who stands up for them?

From the Jakarta Post:

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan confirmed on Tuesday extension of the 2011 forest moratorium due to expire this May.

“The moratorium will be extended. We are still discussing when it will be extended until and whether coverage will be expanded,” said Zulkifli as quoted by Antara news agency.

Under the President Instruction (Inpres) No.10/2011, the government no longer issues permits for conversions of natural forests or peatland. The moratorium extension is crucial as it is part of the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2020.

Zulkifli warned that forestry companies may file lawsuits against the ministry. “We will take that risk,” he said.

On Monday, the Forestry Ministry in cooperation with the United Nations of Development Programme launched the first forest governance index to address current state of forest protection and management.

Indonesia has had one of the world’s highest deforestation rates since 1990 due to logging, pulp and paper production, agricultural expansion, fire and oil palm plantations.

“More than half of the forest in Aceh National Park is disappearing. The implementation of good forest governance through REDD+ is expected to reverse deforestation rates,” said Zulkifli. (nai/ebf)

A perspective from the other side:

Although it [new Aceh province development] seems to fly in the face of the national moratorium, the  project is possible because it hinges on Aceh’s decision to overturn its own deforestation ban which was introduced at the local level six years ago.

The ban, stronger than the national measure, was brought in by the previous local administration — but it will be scrapped under the plan.

Moratorium?  What f-ing moratorium?  It’s all about money.

Related articles

• Sumatran Orangutans’ Rainforest Home Faces New Threat (thejakartaglobe.com)
• Indonesia to maintain deforestation moratorium (eco-business.com)
• Commercial Exploitation of Sumatran Forests Will Push Endangered Species on the Island Closer Towards Extinction (medindia.net)

Asia, Poachers — And Game Rangers — Succeed — Rhinos Now Extinct In Mozambique

English: Sketch map of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I can only sit in helpless disgust.

Mozambique’s rhinoceros population was wiped out more than a century ago by big game hunters. Reconstituted several years ago, it has again been driven to extinction, or to the brink of extinction, by poachers seeking their horns for sale in Asia.

A leading rhino expert told The Associated Press that the last rhino in the southern African nation has been killed. The warden in charge of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park — the only place where the horned behemoths lived in Mozambique — also says poachers have wiped out the last of the rhinos. Mozambique’s conservation director believes a few may remain.

Asia’s rising middle class and its insane, unquenchable thirst for ancient, absurdly ineffective rhino horn medicinal treatments (it’s keratin, the same substance as finger and toenails, fuckers!  See below photo from WWF) has driven the rhinos in Mozambique to extinction.  All for about $100 a month to rangers, who were complicit in the poaching.

A game ranger arrested for helping poachers in Mozambique’s northern Niassa Game Reserve said on Mozambican Television TVM last week that he was paid 2,500 meticais (about $80) to direct poachers to areas with elephants and rhinos. Game
rangers are paid between 2,000 and 3,000 meticais ($64 to $96) a month.

Hell, I’d help pay rangers $500 a month to kill the poachers.  Where do I contribute?

Here’s the story:  http://news.yahoo.com/expert-rhinos-extinct-mozambique-154136909.html

More, from a 4/23/2013 Huffington Post story:

“China and Southeast Asia are the biggest destinations of  these illegal products, but not because of the traditional  medical uses. Growing uses in Asia include the giving of ivory  as a high-value gift, drinking of rhino horn wine, and rhino  horn as an aphrodisiac, a cure for cancer, and hangovers.”

Fucking disgusting.

Related articles

• Last rhinos in Mozambique killed by poachers… (telegraph.co.uk)
• Expert: Rhinos Extinct in Mozambique (abcnews.go.com)
• Expert: Rhinos extinct in Mozambique (omaha.com)