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Enjoy!
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Natural Cleaning with Ingredients from Your Kitchen
By Lauren Brown
Provided by WorldNow
http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=8656026&nav=menu222_7_14
You can't avoid it. As much as you might want to turn the other cheek, dirt and grime will not go away on their own. I can't tell you how to avoid cleaning, but I can give you some helpful advice: By using natural cleaning agents you can save money and promote the health of your family and the environment.
Store bought cleaners can irritate eyes and skin and are one of the leading causes of toxic exposure reported to the U.S. poison control center. Detergents, chemical fragrances, and cleaning products are often made of non-biodegradable materials, use non-renewable resources such as petroleum, contain substances known to cause cancer, and harm wildlife.
You can give natural cleaning a try without a lot of effort; most of the ingredients are probably lying around your house already. There is a natural solution to most any cleaning challenge that you wish to tackle. Here are some basics to get you started.
Major players
Lemon Juice
Lemons have a low pH level and therefore are able to kill most of the bacteria in your house. If you have bottled lemon juice lying around you can use this instead of fresh lemons. You can clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces and polish copper or brass with lemons. This also has the added benefit of leaving your home with a pleasant smell.
• You can mix vinegar and/or baking soda with lemon to make a cleaning solution or paste.
• Putting a lemon or orange peel in the garbage disposal is a good way to freshen it.
• For hardwood furniture polish mix ½ cup of lemon juice with a cup of olive oil.
• Soaking clothes in ½ cup of lemon juice with very hot water will bleach clothes ( do not use on silks).
• You can use half a lemon as a scrubber to clean laminate counter tops and cutting boards. Don't rinse the lemon juice off until you see the stains coming out.
Baking Soda
This substance occurs naturally but is often produced artificially. It is alkaline in nature or has a neutral pH level and its cleaning potential is endless. It is a deodorizer, air freshener, and water softener. From your jewelry to your fish tank, baking soda will do the trick. Cleaning with baking soda works well on water based stains and cleaning that requires scrubbing.
• In the bathroom and kitchen scrub the microwave, oven, shower, and toilet, then rinse with warm water. A general cleaning solution can be made with ¼ cup of baking soda, ½ cup of vinegar, and 1 gallon of hot water; ¼ cup of baking soda with a few cups of warm water works as whitener; use ¼ cup of baking soda with less water to create a paste for scrubbing.
• Try leaving a container of baking soda in your refrigerator or freezer to maintain freshness. Baking soda can also be used to deodorize your garbage can.
• It can also be used as part of your personal hygiene regimen in place of store bought deodorant. Try mixing ½ cup baking soda with ½ cup corn starch with a few drops of essential oils if desired, then sprinkle on a damp cloth and pat on desired area.
Vinegar
White vinegar is slightly acidic and therefore can cut through grease, remove mildew, and clean stains. In the bathroom, vinegar can clean soap scum and hard water strains. Don't worry about the unpleasant smell, it goes away when it dries. Don't use vinegar on marble surfaces.
• A solution of equal parts vinegar and water can be used in a spray bottle to clean windows and walls.
• Use a cloth dipped in vinegar to remove stains on curtains, furniture, and carpeting.
• Some baking soda along with a cup of vinegar will clean the inside of your toilet bowl; allow solution to fizz and then rinse with cold water.
• A ½ cup of vinegar works well as a fabric softener in the rinse cycle.
Other players
Borax
Also known as Boric Acid, this ingredient is most commonly used as an alternative to bleach. Though it is naturally occurring, it can irritate skin and be toxic if ingested. It can disinfect, deodorize, clean, soften water and renew painted or wallpapered walls.
Castile Soap
This soap is biodegradable and can be found in the form of a liquid, powder or bar. As well as using in place of shampoo or body soap, castile soap can clean clothing, be used to wash pets or as a general cleaner.
Corn Starch
Corn starch can clean windows, polish furniture, remove grease, shampoo rugs, and works well when used during ironing.
If you are not inclined to make your own cleaning products out of these basic household items, you can look for natural or eco-friendly cleaners in the store. Note that ammonia and chlorine are some of the most hazardous materials. Be sure to read the ingredients label and verify that the products are natural, effective, and safe for your home and family.
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Natural Wax Candle Care & Burning Tips
By: Theresa A Johnson, B.Msc
Everywhere you look these days, are the buzz-words: "Earth-Friendly", "All-Natural", "Soy wax", Palm-Wax", "Green", etc. It's enough to make one wonder, "What was wrong with the good old "old fashioned" candle?"
The answer is: "Nothing is wrong with them", of course. But there are fundamental differences between standard candles and the candles made from natural wax, that you might want to be aware of. One of those differences concerns clean-up after burning.
To begin with, standard, garden-variety candles are made from paraffin and have been thus for a very, very long time. Paraffin is notorious for being difficult to remove from fine wooden finishes on tables and/or removal from fabrics as well. There are all manner of tips-n-tricks to paraffin removal, any number of which, may be the answer to your particular dilemma, such as: Ice, Heat, WD-40, Mineral Oil, Talc etc.
But with natural, plant-based waxes, clean-up is simple! The best way to remove natural wax over-flow from a hard surface, such as a wooden table, counter etc., is with a flexible, plastice putty knife. You can purchase these from any department or neighborhood hardware store for less than two dollars. Make sure your plastic putty knife has a beveled edge, though. Using this beveled edge, gently slide the putty knife under the edge of the hardened wax and gently scrape (using a "scooping" motion) in one smooth motion, until the wax is lifted. Repeat if necessary until all the wax is removed.
It really IS as simple as that!
Natural, plant-based waxes are softer than paraffin and even after cooling and setting in for many hours, clean-up from hard surfaces is a snap. It's the same with removal from clothing or other fabric. You can try the same method using the flexible plastic putty knife for large areas, or something as simple as your fingernails on a very small area. It's best to catch the wax in its molten state if at all possible, however.... wick it off the material using a paper towel and a blotting motion (as opposed to a wiping motion, which can spread the molten wax over a larger area.)
Plant-based waxes CAN stain some fabrics (as can paraffin waxes and the scent/color used in both) because they contain oils. Any household tip for removing an oily stain from fabric can also be useful in removing plant-based wax from fabric. In most cases, though... it's really not a big problem at all. Gone are the days of throwing out your best Thanksgiving tablecloth due to waxy residue!
Like any other candle, there are some burning tips which will help you get the most from your new plant-based candles. For example:
1. For the first use, burn your candle no more than one hour... then extinguish. When the burn pool has solidified again, you can burn your candle again... but limit all subsequent burning times to no longer than 4 hours at a time.
Ever notice that your candle doesnt' smell quite as strong when you first burn it, than it does brand new or later, in subsequent burnings? The purpose for burning the candle a short time before using for extended periods is to establish "scent memory". (Didn't know candles had memory, did you!??) Scent and molten wax combine to give off (or "throw) the candle scent on the heat stream coming from the flame. By establishing a "scent memory" you are setting into motion the physics-based mechanism for optimal scent throw.
2. Always keep your candle away from direct sunlight, extreme temperatures and drafts.
Ultra-Violet sunlight is the number one contributor to candle fading. ALL candles will eventually fade given a long amount of time, but to slow the pace of fading, keep them away from the conditions listed above. The candles I make are treated with a natural two-part U.V. protectant in the melting process, which help extend the shelf-life of the candle's color. Not all candle makers agree on the necessity of these U.V. protectants, but I definately see the value in maintaining the color and optimizing the performance of my candles.
3. Burn your candles on a stable, sturdy surface away from possible disturbance by children or pets.
Accidents DO happen, but minimizing the opportunity for injury or breakage is always prudent.
4. Keep the wick trimmed to about 1/4 inch.
Using scissors, simply snip the wick to a height of about 1/4 inch when not lit. Keeping the wick trimmed optimizes the establishment of the burn pool, while controlling the chances of flare from a flame that is too high.
5. Occasionally press the edges of the solid candle wax, inward towards the burn pool.
As a candle burns, the molten wax forms a "pool" around the wick, extending outwardly towards the edges of the candle. To get the most from your candle, press the softened edges of the wax inward towards the burn pool with a metal spoon. This expands the amount of fuel available to the flame, extends the burn time and ensures an even burn rate.
6. ALWAYS burn votive candles in an appropriate, heat and fire safe vessel.
Votives are notorious for spilling past their bounds into the container that they sit in... it's just part of their nature. Make sure you burn votive candles in glass or heat-resitant containers which are the approximate diameter of the votive candle itself for optimal use. The wax itself will conform to the container and become the new shape of the votive candle with use.
7. NEVER USE AERASOL DISINFECTING SPRAYS OR FRAGRANCE MISTS IN THE AIR NEAR THE CANDLE.
Remember the adage: "What goes up, must come down?" It's the same with those fine aerasol fragrance mists. Residue settles on the surface of the candle and when next lit, causes sparking and flaring. Keep jar candles closed (lid on) when not in use and be extra careful not to allow the surface of pillars, tapers or votives to become contaminated with dust or other residue. (In the case of dust, simply wipe clean with a lightly damp cloth... DO NOT USE DUSTING SPRAY TO CLEAN CANDLE SURFACES.
Following these tips will help you get the most of your plant-based AND paraffin candles as well. There is very little difference between the two when it comes to safety, ease of use and optimal enjoyment.
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The Science Behind the Sense of Smell
A series of articles and interesting facts regarding our sense of Smell, its importance and purpose(s), compiled from various sources. Where available, the source link is provided before each article, so you can visit the website and peruse at your leisure.
From: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/biosi/staffinfo/jacob/
Smell and hormones
Women, particularly women of reproductive age, have a more acute sense of smell than men. The smell sensitivity of most women varies across the menstrual cycle, peaking at ovulation (approx. day 14 of cycle where the beginning of menstruation is day 0). This peak in smell sensitivity coincides with a surge in plasma estradiol (an oestrogen). Estradiol also increases during pregnancy, perhaps explaining why some women report an increase in smell (and taste) sensitivity during pregnancy.
Smell declines with age but postmenopausal decreases in smell sensitivity are not reversed by hormone replacement therapy (HRT)1.
Smell and mood
While it is a commonly held view that smell affects emotion and mood, scientific research has more often reported null effects (63% in the survey of Bone & Ellen, 1999).
The effects of smell on emotion and mood are most likely to be the result of conditioned association. Strong emotional responses to olfactory stimuli are rare or idiosynchratic, much more common are minor mood effects and mild affective states. The mood effects are likely to parallel the hedonicity of the odour (pleasant odours give rise to pleasant mood states while unpleasant odours give rise to unpleasant moods).
We are currently researching whether "good" and "bad" odours can give rise to measurably different physiological states (watch this space!).
Smell and mate choice
Recent work from Martha McClintock's lab in Chicago shows that women are able to detect minute differences in male immunotype by smell (Jacob et al., 2002). Immunotype is conferred by HLA alleles, the genes that confer immunity in humans (the equivalent of MHC in animals), and determines our individual smell. We tend to prefer smell of people who have different HLA alleles to our own. This would mean the offspring of such a match would confer immune advantage - more different HLA alleles would be passed on to the kids giving them a greater degree of immunity. We tend to be repelled by people whose immunotype (HLA alleles) is similar to our own. It looks like we choose our partner on the basis of smell (Wedekind et al., 1997) - well it would be one factor anyway. So, why do we spend so much time, and money, disguising it? Actually, we can probably detect the HLA-related smell in spite of our best attempts to cover it up!
Interestingly, the Chicago lab found that the women in their study rated human odour in absolute terms as slightly pleasant and more pleasant than common household odours (0.2 on a scale -5 to +5).
FACT - we can smell happiness
FACT - taste is mostly (~75%) smell
FACT- Some people can't smell skunks - and some can't smell freesias
FACT - everyone has a unique smell (except identical twins)
There are no plausible theories as to why we experience pleasant smells and why things smell pleasant to us. There is no biological or evolutionary value in being able to smell pleasant odours or get pleasure from such odours. You may think that food smells "nice" and therefore pleasant smell is about food foraging. Well, yes it does smell nice when you're hungry, but it can also make you nauseous when you're full. In any case I'm talking about really beautiful smells - those of certain flowers for example or a wonderful perfume and not the smell of frying bacon.
Not all flowers smell "nice" to us. Remember, flowers smell to attract pollinators (insects) and we, humans, are not pollinators!
Muller, in 1942, carried out a survey of the frequency that different fragrances occur in nature. Of 1266 species, 138 had unpleasant, cabbage-like odours.
A particular example of unpleasant smelling flowers are the so-called "Carrion Flowers".
o The carrion flowers give off the smell of rotting meat
o They attract insects (e.g. flies and beetles) which then act as pollinators
o Some carrion flowers temporarily trap the insects to ensure they collect some pollen
back
Why do we like perfumes?
Why do we use perfumes (well some of us anyway!)?
Not all perfumes smell nice to all people. It is a very personal thing. Milinski and Wedekind have done some very interesting and far reaching research into our perfume choices1. They found that people chose perfume on the basis of their immunotype. People expressing the same or similar HLA alleles chose the same basic perfume ingredients. Their conclusion was startling. People use perfume to advertise their immunotype - unconsciously.
1. Milinski, M. and C. Wedekind (2001). "Evidence for MHC-correlated perfume preferences in humans." Behavioral Ecology 12(2): 140-149.
Smell and memory
Smell and memory are closely linked. Smell evokes memories. Damage to the temporal cortical region of the brain - the site of memory - does not affect the ability to detect smell, but, rather, prevents the identification of the odour. We must first remember a smell before identifying it.
What we know about smell and memory:
• Memory - odour memory falls off less rapidly that other sensory memory (Miles & Jenkins, 2000)
• Odour memory lasts a long time.
• The "Proust effect" - odour associated with experience and a smell can recall the memory; smell is better at this memory cue effect than other senses (Chu and Downes, 2000)
Marcel Proust has lent his name to the phenomenon of memory recall in response to a specific smell (after his descrition of such an event in "Swan's Way") - the "Proust Effect". Whole memories, complete with all associated emotions, can be prompted by smell. This is entirely unconscious and cannot necessarily be prompted voluntarily although countless studies have shown that recall can be enhanced if learning was done in the presence of an odour and that same odour is presented at the time of recall. Useful for exam revision!
Work by Walter Freeman (Freeman, 1991) has shown that smell memory is context dependent and can be modified in the light if new experience, implying that our olfactory sense is continuously dynamic, updating as we live and experience new things.
( From: http://www.senseofsmell.org/)
The sense of smell plays a vital role in our sense of well-being and quality of life.
Everyone has his or her own unique odor-identity or “smell fingerprint.
No two people smell the same odor the same way. In other words, a rose may smell sweeter to some people than to others.
The average human being is able to recognize approximately 10,000 different odors.
Our sense of taste is greatly influenced by our sense of smell.
A larger portion of the brains of animals and fish are devoted to the sense of smell than that of humans.
• Your nose can smell directionally, telling you where an odor originates.
• Your sense of smell is least acute in the morning; our ability to perceive odors increases as the day wears on.
A woman’s sense of smell is keener than a man’s.
It is important to understand that throughout every day and night of our lives we smell a wide variety of odors without being aware of them at all.
People recall smells with a 65% accuracy after a year, while the visual recall of photos sinks to about 50% after only three months.
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Celebrating Autumn's Splendor
Written By: Theresa A Johnson, B.Msc.
Autumn is my very favorite season of the year... the wonderful woodsy smells, the crispness in the air, the moderated temperatures (and here on Maryland's Eastern Shore, lowered humidity!)...change is everywhere! Change itself excites me, although it can be a daunting thing sometimes.
Autumn is often thought of as the season of death and decline; but those who follow nature-based faiths and traditions, see Autumn as a season of abundance, a time to gather up the last of Mother Nature's bounty a time to take stock in one's blessings, to "settle-up" old debts or get one's affairs in order, and later in October, a time to commune again with the energies and spirits of loved ones gone before we were ready to say goodbye.... a time not just for reflection, but for reconnection, resolution and celebration of Life and all of its cycles.
So it's probably fitting that my thoughts these days, are turning to the resolution of strained relationships, and a desire to reconnect with pivotal people from my past. These times of economic turmoil and stress, beckon me to remember what's REALLY important in life... and it's not money, or material wealth or even physical possessions... but rather, relationships with the people we love and who nurture us in times of plenty AND in need.
Autumn is the perfect season to reciprocate in kind, to reach out and help our neighbors get settled in before the long, cold winter winds begin to blow and to rekindle loving embers back to the flames of passion and companionship they once were. Autumn is a season of opportunities often overlooked.
I invite you, the reader, to slow down a bit this Autumn season, and take advantage of the many opportunities for positive change that the season brings... and don't just do it for yourself, but pay the blessings forward, just because!
Remember to indulge a little in your favorite and most comforting pastimes and Spiritual traditions, too... for Autumn is the time to reconnect with oneself as well as others.
Brightest Blessings to you and yours!
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Sharing some Insights
Written by: Theresa A Johnson, B.Msc.
So, my first full year in business as a small-potatoes candle-maker will wind down in May and already, I'm making mental notes on the whole experience.... and sharing them with you, the reader, many of whom are counted as loyal customers, too!
That's the first thing I want to comment on; The "friendly side" of building customer- candle-maker relationships
.
1. I've learned that even though the timing of my little venture did not turn out to be the best, what with the declining economy and financial struggles of family and friends; I DO enjoy a specific niche in the candle market.
Candles set the mood, creating a special, intimate and comforting ambience that brings us back to the simpler pleasures of life. Additionally, I make it a point to get to know my patrons on a friendly level... I know their preferences, interests, special occasions and penchants. I enjoy an intimacy the likes of which the big candle companies simply CAN'T enjoy, and which, I wouldn't trade even if it meant I'd enjoy the same level of success and sales volume the big boys do. People seem to really like the fact that they can talk with me, share things with me, make suggestions and even critique my stuff. I really like it, too.
The most financially successful campaigns for me, have been those in which I've taken my candles to the PEOPLE, not sat back and waited for them to find me. Shut-ins, the elderly, the construction worker who works long hours and wants to make his girl happy, family, friends, even employees on the job at WalMart and WaWa!
Hosting a candle-party wasn't even my idea: it came from the lady-friend who ran the local laundromat and who wanted to order, but was always stuck at work.
Yup, my niche is taking to the people... a custom, intimate experience... a rewarding experience all-around.
2. I've learned that the key to candle-making lies in one's ability to persevere through COUNTLESS trials and error.
All candles are not created equally, especially hand-made ones. Sure, there are standard molds used, so it's not that difficult to get uniform sizes at least, but each candle still has subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences that I can't control no matter what I do. For example: the crystalizing pattern on the Palm wax-based candles... or the cracks in Chunky Pillars. These are the areas where so many variables come into play that uniformity is simply not possible.
But that's exactly the way I like it! Nature speaks even through my handiwork... and I'm honored.
One should be willing to experiment in life, certainly as a candle-maker, because nothing will work out exactly right every time. It helps to know this ahead of time, so as not to be discouraged and tempted to give up prematurely.
One of my favorite accounts of this is my "Happy Accident" Basket... where the candle inside had to be topped off while curing... but the wax cooled too quickly and the candle had shrunk away from the sides a bit too much, allowing for the new wax to fill in between the candle and the mold side. To add insult to injury, the color wasn't exactly right either, but by that point, I wasn't too concerned, and thought it would be "close-enough". The result was an ivory pillar candle with rusty-brown "flames" effect ...
"A Happy Accident".
I couldn't recreate that now if I wanted to, and the recipient LOVED it!
3. I've learned that my personal measure of "success" is NOT tied to my wallet.
I'm not rich... wasn't before I started this... and not even after a 2/3 of a year in business.
But I'm successful, imho.
I'm successful because I measure personal success by the level of personal satisfaction I get from hearing how someone loved recieving a gift made by me, or how much it meant to someone that I was able to capture the essence of a loved one in a candle, to be enjoyed for many years to come. I measure success based on emotional connection, mostly.
Simply put" If YOU are happy, then I am happy." If something I've done can make someone smile, or bring them comfort or help ease the burdens of the day and inspire relaxation.... then I am more than pleased.
I'm honored.
I take pride in a job well-done, expectations well-met if not exceeded... and THAT'S how I measure personal success.
Betcha never knew a simple candle was anything more than just that!
Betcha never knew a candle-maker could find such value in something seemingly so simple as making a candle, either.
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Palm Oil v.s.Palm Wax : Palm Oil Controversy
Written By: Theresa A Johnson, B.Msc.
I wasn’t aware until very recently, that there WAS such a controversy actually. But there definitely is. In this age of Eco-friendliness and “Green Living”, consumers want to feel good about choosing products that fall under these umbrella terms. We get a sense of making a contribution and affecting positive change through small, individual measures during everyday living.
So it’s no small wonder we are confounded when we discover that something which is of natural origin and is supposed to be GOOD for the environment, GOOD for a culture living below poverty levels and GOOD for us as a consumer... acutally has a sinister side. Additionally, it’s often very difficult to keep up with all of the media regarding such products.
Palm Kernel Oil is one such ingredient/product rife with controversy. While on the one hand, it IS an organic substance, used as a substitute for trans-fats in foods, a solidifying agent in natural-based beauty and health products, etc., the damage done to the Earth via the release of green house gasses and CO2, massive de-forestation of the Rain Forests and even events leading to the near-extinction of the Orangutan, make this an ingredient to avoid as a consumer.
The following articles are shared in an effort to promote awareness of the controversy from both sides. Upcoming Articles both here and in my monthly newsletter, will discuss the DIFFERENCE between Palm Kernel Oil (and its derivative “ Palmitic Acid”) and the kind of Palm Wax I use in candle-making.
The fundamental differences between the two is the part of the Palm plant being used and the methods of harvest.
Palm Wax IS sustainable, eco-friendly and beneficial to ALL parties involved in its growth, harvesting and use.
Onward!
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Palm Oil (more specifically, Palm Kernel Oil)
Environmental, social and cultural impact
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_oil
See also: Forests Now Declaration
See also: Wetlands International
Palm oil production is a basic source of income for many of the world's rural poor in South East Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America. An estimated 1.5 million small farmers grow the crop in Indonesia, whereas about 500,000 people are directly employed in the sector in Malaysia, plus those connected with spin offs.[9][10] Not only does the palm represent a pillar of these nation's economies but it is a catalyst for rural development and political stability. Many social initiatives use profits from palm oil to finance poverty alleviation strategies. Examples include the direct financing of Magbenteh hospital in Makeni, Sierra Leone, through profits made from palm oil grown by small local farmers,[11] the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance's Food Security Program, which draws on a women-run cooperative to grow palm oil, the profits of which are reinvested in food security,[12] or the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's hybrid oil palm project in Western Kenya, which improves incomes and diets of local populations,[13] to name just a few.
In the two countries responsible for over 80% of world oil palm production, Indonesia and Malaysia, smallholders account for 35-40% of the total area of planted oil palm and as much as 33% of the output. Elsewhere, as in West African countries that produce mainly for domestic and regional markets, smallholders produce up to 90% of the annual harvest. [14]
As of 2006, the cumulative land area of palm oil plantations is approximately 11 million hectares.[15] In 2005 the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, responsible for about half of the world's crop, estimated that they manage about half a billion perennial carbon-sequestering palm trees.[9] Demand for palm oil has been rising and is expected to climb further.
This rising demand is resulting in tropical forest being cleared to establish new palm plantations. According to UNEP,[16] at the current rate of intrusion into Indonesian national parks, it is likely that many protected rain forests will be severely degraded by 2012 through illegal hunting and trade, logging, and forest fires, including those associated with the rapid spread of palm oil plantations. There is growing concern that this will be harmful to the environment in several ways:
• Significant greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation, mainly in tropical areas, account for up to one-third of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions.[17]
• Habitat destruction of critically endangered species (e.g. the Sumatran tiger[18], the Asian rhinoceros[19], and the Sumatran Orangutan[20][21][22][23]).
• Exctinction of these species[24][22][23].
• Many places that are of interest for growing palm are biodiversity hotspots [25], increasing the impact of this development on the environment.[24] In addition to environmental impact, the logging, land-clearing and planting of oil palm continues to occur on native (Dayak) land, despite their frequent objections. This has caused the degradation of their food, water, forest product sources as well as destroying their cash crop farms such as fruit and rubber trees in Sarawak, Sabah and Kalimantan, Borneo.[26]
[27]
Damage to peatland, partly due to palm oil production, is claimed to contribute to environmental degradation, including four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions[28] and eight percent of all global emissions caused annually by burning fossil fuels[29], due to the large areas of rainforest that are cleared to make way for palm oil plantations. The pollution is exacerbated because many rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia lie atop peat bogs that store great quantities of carbon that are released when the forests are cut down and the bogs drained to make way for the palm oil plantations.
NGOs have accused the growth of new palm oil plantations as also being responsible for peat forest destruction in Indonesia and for accelerating global warming. Greenpeace concluded[30] that many food and cosmetics companies, including ADM, Unilever, Cargill, Proctor & Gamble, Nestle, Kraft and Burger King, are driving the demand for new palm oil supplies, partly for products that contain non-hydrogenated solid vegetable fats, as consumers now demand fewer hydrogenated oils in food products that were previously high in trans fat content.[31] Friends of the Earth have concluded that the increase in demand comes from biofuel, with producers now looking to use palm as a source.[32]
Environmental groups such as Greenpeace claim that the deforestation caused by making way for oil palm plantations is far more damaging for the climate than the benefits gained by switching to biofuel.[33].[34] The world's centres for oil palm production are Indonesia and Malaysia where rapid deforestation and the drying out of associated peatlands are, Greenpeace claim, releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and thereby speeding climate change.[35].Greenpeace identified Indonesian peatlands, unique tropical forests whose dense soil can be burned to release carbon emissions, that are being destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations. They represent massive carbon sinks, and they claim their destruction already accounts for four percent of annual global emissions. Greenpeace recorded peatland destruction in the Indonesian province of Riau on the island of Sumatra, home to 25 percent of Indonesia's palm oil plantations. There are plans to expand the area under concession by more than 28 500 km² (11,000 square miles), which would deforest half of the province. They claim this would have devastating consequences for Riau's peatlands, which have already been degraded by industrial development and store a massive 14.6 billion tonnes of carbon, roughly one year's greenhouse gas emissions.
Research conducted by Greenpeace through its Forest Defenders Camp in Riau documents how a major Indonesian palm oil producer is engaging in the large-scale, illegal destruction of peatland in flagrant violation of an Indonesian presidential order, as well as national forestry regulations. Palm oil from peatland is fed into the supply chain for global brands. They accuse major multinational companies of turning a blind eye to peatland destruction to supply cheap vegetable oil. FoE and Greenpeace both calculate that forests and peatlands that are replaced as palm oil plantations release more carbon dioxide than is saved by burning biofuels in place of diesel.[citation needed]
In Africa, the situation is very different compared to Indonesia or Malaysia. In its Human Development Report 2007-2008, the United Nations Development Program says production of palm oil in West-Africa is largely sustainable, mainly because it is undertaken on a smallholder level. The United Nations Food and Agriculture program is encouraging small farmers across Africa to grow palm oil, because the crop offers opportunities to improve livelihoods and incomes for the poor.[36]. Environmentalists and conservationists have been called upon to become palm oil farmers themselves, so they can use the profits to invest in their cause. It has been suggested that this is a more productive strategy than the current confrontational approach that threatens the livelihoods of millions of smallholders.
Many of the major companies in the vegetable oil economy participate in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, which is trying to address this problem. In 2008 Unilever, a member of the group, committed to use only palm oil which is certified as sustainable, by ensuring that the large companies and smallholders that supply it convert to sustainable production by 2015.[39]
Meanwhile, much of the recent investment in new palm plantations for biofuel has been part-funded through carbon credit projects through the Clean Development Mechanism; however the reputational risk associated with unsustainable palm plantations in Indonesia has now made many funds wary of investing there.[40]
In January 2008, the CEO of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council wrote a letter to the Wall Street Journal stating that Malaysia was aware of the need to pursue a sustainable palm oil industry.[41]
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Clean Air or Clean Hair? Palm Oil In Everything
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.28.08
FOOD & HEALTH (FOOD)
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/palm-oil-in-everything.php
Whenever I write about the evils of palm oil I get deluged with comments like "Give me a break, Lloyd. I'm gullible but not that gullible! Your views on palm oil smack of ignorance." and "Seriously, but all this palm oil bashing smacks of industry cartel action." Or I get told to read up about its wonders at the Palm Oil Truth Foundation. What is a TreeHugger to believe?
Glenn Hurowitz of Grist to the rescue. He wrote a great op-ed in the LA Times about the omnipresence of palm oil in everything from shampoo to cookies, finding rhino-killer in Oreos, Chewy Chips Ahoy!, Orville Redenbacher's popcorn, Hershey's Kisses "Hugs," Twix and more. And not just the mainstream stuff: it's in products from Burts Bees, Trader Joes, Whole Foods and other "green" sources.
He writes:
"Whether it's used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into a biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which a whopping 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations.
That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife."
He concludes:
"So how can we keep dead orangutans out of our hair, out of our food and out of our gas tanks? Consumers should scan ingredient labels for palm oil and palm kernel oil (and derivatives such as palmitic acid) and choose brands that don't contain them.
But governments must act too. The European Union, for instance, is considering a ban on palm oil and other tropical biofuels. But as my hair conditioner shows, targeting biofuels alone isn't enough: Any ban must extend to food and cosmetics as well.
That may slightly inconvenience the food and cosmetics companies, but at least we'll know that no orangutans died to make our Thin Mints
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