The weather is often unpredictable.  That is a given.  What is to us a comfy 60 degree winter day in the Midwest or a chilly and breezy late spring day in the pacific coast is often exploited by environmental fraudsters.  

To some of us, the prevalence of unusual weather is simply the work of Mother Nature.  Others are more convinced that our reckless treatment of the earth has made global warming that much more of a reality.

The natural level of discomfort that results from the thought of global warming is reinforced by numerous reports claiming inevitable environmental doom.  A recent article in the Nature Magazine went as far as predicting that over the next fifty years well over one million species will cease to exist due to global warming.  

Coupled with the fear prompted by environmental experts and know-it-alls is a plethora of scams.  Some attempt to persuade our beliefs, while others operate with the intentions of fraud. Far from being verified is one claim that global warming is a man-made predicament.  Instead of drawing these conclusions from observable facts, these assumptions are based on methods of computer modeling that generate artificial and graphic-based visions of the earth that is so easily manipulated.  A computer can only process the information fed to it, which in this case is usually fraudulent data intended to stir up controversy.

Other types of environmental fraud target those who carry enough concern about the planet to make a difference.  Often, these fraudsters will make an attempt to persuade you into contributing to the prevention of global warming, preservation of the rain forest or other environmental issues.  

Sadly, palm oil has been a victim of these scams.  What is more alarming is the fact that the organizations that have been targeting palm oil on the issue of deforestation are well schooled in the art of producing content that makes them appear legitimate!  

In the view of the Palm Oil Truth Foundation, it is indeed regrettable that the current officials of organizations like the Friends of the Earth (FOE),  the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), and Greenpeace are prepared to gamble on the veneer of respectability and environmental pedigree earned by their predecessors to engage in such dubious schemes against palm oil to exploit well meaning governments, policy makers, corporations and Joe Public for funding to carry on their “work”!

Fortunately though, the devil is always in the details, and most scams trip up when their elaborate schemes are put under the microscope.

FOE, for one, published a “report” called: “Malaysian Palm Oil: Green Gold or Green Wash”.  In this 65-page long “report” FOE alleges that the Malaysian State of Sarawak is developing large-scale plantations at breath-taking speed having overexploited its timber resources and depleted its forests. The "report” contends that oil palm plantations are being expanded at the expense of tropical forests.  Ironically, in the same breath, the FOE massively contradicted themselves on Page 30 of the said “report” by declaring that “it is unlikely that virgin forests are still cleared for oil palm expansion in Malaysia.”

Let us examine the facts.  It is well established that the agriculture to forest land ratio in Sarawak currently stands at 8:76.  That is to say that agricultural land in Sarawak currently stands at only a paltry 8%.  How can it be credible then for the “report” to allege that Sarawak is expanding palm oil plantations “at the expense of tropical forests”?  Whatever plantations that are established in Sarawak are clearly established on previously logged over areas, areas that have been, in FOE’s own words “overexploited …for timber resources”. How replanting previously logged over areas with palm oil constitutes expansion “at the expense of tropical forests, FOE does not say.

Secondly, how could it be conceivable for palm oil to be causing massive deforestation in Malaysia?  It is indisputable that Malaysia was, until last year, the largest producer of palm oil in the world. Yet the country can still boast forest cover of 65%?  This was despite Malaysia producing palm oil for over a century!  This 65% forest cover is far higher than the typical 20% found in the countries of the industrial west from which FOE, Greenpeace and RAN hail.  Further, it is curious that the FOE should elect to single out just the Malaysian state of Sarawak for its diatribe.  Could this be due to a personal vendetta on the part of Ms Meenakshi Rahman of Sahabat Alam, the Malaysian chapter/representative for FOE since she was blacklisted and declared persona non grata by the state of Sarawak?  Ms Meenakshi is a co-author of the FOE “report”.

RAN, for another, with the typical gay abandon of many scammers put up a “report” called “The Problem With Palm Oil” falsely accusing palm oil of causing massive deforestation and consequently contributing to global warming.

RAN even went to the extent of recklessly alleging that the deforestation was so all-pervasive that it has destroyed orang utan habitat to the extent that the orang utan would become extinct by 2011!

The only problem with “the Problem With Palm Oil” is that it is riddled with half-truths and equivocations.  First, Malaysia was, up to very recently, the world’s largest producer of palm oil.  Despite planting palm oil for more than a century, Malaysia still has more than 65% forest cover, an amazing feat when juxtaposed against the forest cover of 20% typically found in the countries of the industrialized west, from which these self-professed paragons of conservation such as RAN, FOE and Greenpeace hail.

This can be put down to the remarkable productivity of palm oil, which can yield 4.5 metric tons of edible oil per hectare.  Compared to the typical 0.5 metric ton yield of palm oil competitors such as soy, rapeseed and sunflower, this could explain why palm oil plantations occupy a comparatively small plantation footprint relative to its competitors.  With this kind of productivity, there is really no necessity to lop off massive tracts of rainforest to establish palm oil plantations. This is also why palm oil plantations for the past decade or so have been established only on legitimate agricultural land.

For RAN to allege that the orang utan would become extinct by 2011 is indeed laughable for estimates of orang utan population in the wild in Borneo alone, currently stands at between 45,000 and 69,000!  Just how such a population can be wiped out in 3 short years, RAN does not say!

RAN also ignores the many conservation programs and orang utan enclaves established by Malaysia and Indonesia. Orang utan conservation centres had been established in Indonesia including those at Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan, Kutai in East Kalimantan, Gunung Palung National Park in West Kalimantan, and Bukit Lawang in the Gunung Leuser National Park on the border of Aceh and North Sumatra. In Malaysia, conservation areas have been set up and they include the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Sarawak and Matang Wildlife Centre also in Sarawak, and the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary near Sandakan in Sabah.

The Palm Oil Truth Foundation takes the view that the motive of the FOE and RAN in pursuing such a self-destructive path is moot.  Suffice it to say that such irresponsible posturing by the FOE and RAN can only destroy their credibility and ultimately lead to their own demise as legitimate environmental organizations!  THE END.