A Gold Rush of Destruction in Peru

October 17, 2013 by sabrina971822

Until recently, little was known about the extent of gold mining activities in Peru. A recent video shot by the Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO) revealed much of the evidence pertaining to gold mining activities in the southern part of Madre de Dios, Peru. Madre de Dios is known for its pristine rainforest, biodiversity and rich wildlife, but this reputation is at risk now that Landsat satellite images have shown the devastation from expansion of mining activities. Satellite images from 2000, […]

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12 WAYS CONSUMER IS KING!

December 22, 2012 by sabrina971822

ON THE 12TH DAY OF PEATMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME…. 12 WAYS CONSUMER IS KING! Do 1 or 2, or be a Super Consumer and Do them All !! Learn how to identify which of your products have palm oil in them (see Day 10 for some hints). Go through the products in your pantry, shower rack, and fridge. Can you identify the products with palm oil? Not sure if your product has palm oil in it? Write a letter to the […]

Categories: International Forest Issues, Uncategorized

11 THANKFUL CRITTERS

December 21, 2012 by sabrina971822

ON THE 11TH DAY OF PEATMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME 11 THANKFUL CRITTERS! If you do your part to use products from companies who are making efforts to use sustainable palm oil in their products AND demand that companies who are not, make a commitment to do so, we can pretty much guarantee these animals will most definitely want to thank you…. 1. Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae 2. Orangutan Pongo pygmaeus 3. Borneo Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis […]

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10 PALM PSEUDONYMS

December 20, 2012 by sabrina971822

On Day 4 We shared the following fact with you: Over 50% of all packaged goods on your supermarket shelves have palm oil in them. How can that be, when you don’t see “palm oil” listed as an ingredient on the labels in your kitchen cupboard, shower, pantry or supply closet? The answer is as simple, as it is complicated: palm oil “goes by” many different names. Names you definitely would not recognize as being palm oil like, “sodium kernelate”. […]

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9 LIKEABLE LINKS!

December 20, 2012 by sabrina971822

ON THE NINTH DAY OF PEATMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME 9 LIKEABLE LINKS! Has Peatmas sparked your interest to learn more about sustainable palm oil, or endangered orangutans, or how you can take action? Orrr… what have we left out? Well check out below for 9 very likeable links, for whatever peaks your interest! 1. Do you know if your favorite brand is an RSPO member? Check it out here: http://www.rspo.org/en/members_search 2. Look at the some of the amazing […]

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8 BRANDS IMPROVING

December 19, 2012 by sabrina971822

ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF PEATMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME 8 BRANDS IMPROVING! In no particular order/ranking, these are 8 brands, who are in some way, stepping up to the plate to work towards making sure they use sustainable palm oil, and protect the fates of tropical forests, peatlands, and the people and animals who call these places home. DISCLAIMER: We’re not saying these companies are the best of the best. We’re just saying, they are companies who are making […]

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7 SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE BRANDS

December 17, 2012 by sabrina971822

ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF PEATMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME…. SEVEN SIGNS OF SUSTAINABLE BRANDS! 1. They Are Open About Their Use of Palm Oil: Is “Palm Oil” clearly labeled as an ingredient in their products? Are they happy to answer consumer questions about where they get their palm oil from or what they are doing/planning to do in order to be sure they work towards only using sustainable palm oil? 2. They Raise Awareness About the Importance of Making […]

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6 EVILS OF PEAT LOSS

December 16, 2012 by sabrina971822

ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME THE 6 EVILS OF PEATLOSS So if we’ve already mentioned a few of these harms, you’ll pardon the repetition because when it comes to the environmental evils associated with oil palm plantations when they are not planted sustainably – well we cannot stress enough just how bad they are. And trust me, it was NOT easy to limit this list to 6. 1. Land Grabbing – Tens of millions […]

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5 HUNDRED AND 50 GIGATONS OF CARBON

December 15, 2012 by sabrina971822

ON THE FIFTH DAY OF PEATMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME 5 HUNDRED AND 50 GIGATONS OF CARBON Today is the technical day. You’re going to see words like “hectares” and “gigatons”and you may not want to keep reading. But stick with me. If you can make it through the next two paragraphs, you can successfully say you understand why peatlands are so valuable as a carbon sink and why it is important to NOT clear these lands to grow […]

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4 PRODUCTS DRIVING THE DESTRUCTION

December 14, 2012 by sabrina971822

ON THE FOURTH DAY OF PEATMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME 4 PRODUCTS DRIVING THE DESTRUCTION Ok maybe we tricked you a little there. There aren’t exactly 4 products with palm oil as an ingredient in them. We don’t have a precise number, but let’s start with this estimate by WWF which says: Over 50% of all packaged goods on your supermarket shelves have palm oil in them And what do these products have to do with peatland and tropical […]

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