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Mongabay.com: A Legitimate Environmental Site? |
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Written by Jon Tomczyk
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 “Polemics” is the fine art and practice of disputation and controversy. This moniker is most deservingly hung around the neck of Mongabay.com. Rather than being a legitimate environmental site, Mongabay has demonstrated once again that it is really a commercial lobby with its incessant and astonishing attacks against palm oil.
What makes the latest attack all the more incomprehensible is the target of Mongabay’s vile and vicious tirade - the International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference (the Conference) held in mid April 2008 in the land below the wind in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Ironically, Rhett Butler, the principal of Mongabay was an official guest and invitee of the Conference organizers.
Consider the following paradox. The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), in an effort to raise environmental awareness and to educate and encourage its members to embrace sustainable planting practices decides to organize the Conference. A look at the Conference topics would be instructive. There were papers presented on Sustainability and CSR in the Palm Oil Industry. The issue of Sustainability and the need for Certification of Sustainable palm oil. There were even papers presented on Wildlife Conservation and Environmental Care and it would not be wrong to label the tone of most of the papers as well as the learned speakers as conciliatory.
One would have thought that Mongabay, if it was a legitimate environmental organization, would have welcomed an initiative that was aimed at encouraging sustainable planting practices and at promoting a clearer understanding of the issues as well as bridge building between activists and the palm oil industry.
Rather than reporting objectively on the conciliatory nature of the Conference, Mongabay chose to highlight whatever little negatives it could dredge up.
Now, in every Conference, there will always be differing views. There will also be a few disgruntled individuals who have their own private grievances and agendas. That’s understandable and acceptable. However, in an inflammatory report entitled “Sustainability Conference Reveals a Rift in the Malaysian Palm Oil Council”, Mongabay sought to give the impression that the views of the CEO of MPOC and the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities expressed at the Conference were widely condemned.
That is not only patently untrue but, in the view of the Palm Oil Truth Foundation, reveals the all pervading yet highly polemical and mischievous glint behind Mongabay’s long-standing stance against palm oil.
Much was also made in the Mongabay report of a video produced by MPOC defending the sustainability record of Malaysian palm oil cultivation, labeling it as “greenwashing”. But that’s totally hogwash. Anything that is true can hardly be called “greenwash”. It is indisputable that most of Malaysian palm oil is grown on legitimate agricultural land or previously logged over areas.
The many calls of protest to the Palm Oil Truth Foundation by attendees to the Conference against the accuracy (or rather, inaccuracies) of Mongabay’s report demonstrate just how far an erstwhile respected environmental site such as Mongabay.com has now sunk, descending into the ethical and moral quagmire in which it now squirms, all mucky and soiled! THE END. |
Just one example of Mongabay's diatribes against palm oil? Are you blind? This very article on Mongabay's report 'Sustainability Conference reveals rift in the Malaysian Palm Oil Council' is evidence enough of Mongabay's rabid anti-palm oil stance.
Naughty... Naughty... But that's Mongabay for you - they can't see the forest for the trees!
Posted by T. Carter, on June 23, 2008 at 10:52
It would be great to see one example of mongabay's 'diatribe' against palm oil
Posted by mongabay, on June 21, 2008 at 16:23
Mongabay? Gosh, now that I know that they're really a commercial lobby, I'll be telling everyone I know never to advertise on Mongabay.com. That's for sure!
Posted by KC Lewis, on June 16, 2008 at 13:02
I was at that Conference and most of the participants saw nothing that would warrant the hullabaloo that Mongabay makes of the corporate video. It's a corp. video anyway, so why all that song and dance?
Posted by KM, on June 16, 2008 at 12:45
Mongabay? More like Mongoosebay or Monkeybay judging from its frequent diatribes against palm oil. That gives them away as a commercial lobby. How disgusting!
One thing is for sure - I'll never advertise in Monga..err...Monkeybay!
Posted by Mick Munroe, on June 13, 2008 at 3:31
Bah, Mongabay.com! If ever there was a shameless commercial lobby, Mongabay would be the first to be given that dubious honor!
Posted by T. Carter, on June 12, 2008 at 4:11
Mongabay? Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Wetlands? The only difference is in the length of their names and the size of their bank accounts.
All of them have a common thread. They'd sell out to any commercial lobby as long as they achieve their ultimate aim - fatten their bank accounts.
The target and intensity of their attacks is only contingent on how much they are paid!
Posted by Shinji Kamita, on June 12, 2008 at 3:15
I agree. Mongabay should be more responsible. My impression is that this site is a commercial lobby.
Posted by K. Balder, on June 12, 2008 at 2:35
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Mongabay.com: A Legitimate Environmental Site? 
