When I saw this place, I knew I had to move in immediately –
Anyone else care to join me?
Rant for today …
When you land in KL all you see around the airport are miles and miles of palm oil plantations
According to a report online, Malaysia and Indonesia produce 85% of the world’s palm oil.
There have been rumblings about palm oil for years in England, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that the EU is planning to ban it from 2021. What did surprise me, however, was a report in the local newspaper this week expressing outrage at the ban, but making no mention whatsoever of environmental issues.
The writer fumes and rants (perhaps he’d like to join me in my new home) but makes no attempt to explain why the EU is banning palm oil.
There’s a tedious list of the committees who voted for the ban, but no reason as to why they might have done so. It gives the impression that the EU was feeling a bit snippy one day, and decided to take it out on Malaysia …
‘I’ve got a good idea – let’s ban all biofuels beginning with the letter P this week!’
‘That’s an absolutely brilliant plan! And then we can ban all green food beginning with the letter C next week.’
But luckily for Malaysia, the Prime Minister has waded in and threatened retaliation –
So, yah sucks boo to you, EU.
Meanwhile, last week the Goverment degazetted 4,515 hectares of permanent forest reserves in Terengganu, an area the size of 4,500 football fields apparently, and this land is going to be given to a government-linked palm oil company. ‘Degazette’ means to remove the official status from something by publishing it in a gazette, according to my online dictionary.
I heard the Chairman of the Malaysia Nature Society being interviewed on the radio yesterday, and he asked how the government can just do that without discussions or consultations. Plus, the UN has pledged to halt deforestation by 2020 – so Malaysia isn’t exactly making itself popular by doing this.
According to Chairman Wong, Malaysia is recognised as one of only 12 mega biodiversity countries supporting an unprecedented wealth of wildlife, and there are even tigers in that area – although not for much longer, obviously.
It’s not only fauna and flora, but Terengganu is a flood prone state, so that will only get worse once the forest is cut down.
How can Malaysia be so short-sighted and so out of tune with the rest of the world? It’s perfectly possible to make money sustainably through ecotourism, medicines and sustainable timber, while protecting the tropical and equatorial rainforests for future generations.
Yes, Mr Journalist – destroying the forests affects the ecosystem; lessening carbon storage, air and water purification, and flood control, as well as endangering wildlife, including many already endangered species like the tigers and orang utans … and that’s why the EU is banning palm oil. Perhaps you should have mentioned that in your article.
OK – rant over – I’ll go away and leave you in peace now.
