palm oil Archives – The Green Optimistic

Profits Over Environment for Fast Food Companies

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 29 May 2014 02:44:25 +0000

Fast food companies are caught on a slippery slope. They know they need to get their act together to make a concerted commitment to limiting their impact on the environment – if for no other reason than as a great public relations event – but they are beholden to the mass-produced beef and palm oil […]

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Palm Oil Considered a Carbon Time Bomb

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 05:08:21 +0000

Palm oil, also known as dendê oil, is an edible vegetable oil produced from oil palm. It can be used for cooking, or to make soaps, cosmetics, and biofuel. It’s much cheaper than other edible oils on the market, and this contributes to its high demand. Selling and exporting palm oil is one of the […]

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Record-Breaking Air Pollution in Singapore Tied to Deforestation in Indonesia

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 02:56:23 +0000

It is now widely believed that Indonesian palm oil companies are intentionally starting forest fires to clear land for palm oil plantations. As if this were not bad enough, these widespread forest fires are causing record-breaking hazardous levels of air pollution in neighboring Singapore. If the air pollution index in Singapore is any sign, the […]

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Palm Oil Plantations in South East Asia Speed up Climate Change

Mila Luleva — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:41:29 +0000

Palm oil trees have been a subject of quite a debate lately, as they are considered environmentally unsustainable. Adding to this, a new study just published in the journal Nature reveals that deforestation in the peat swamps of Malaysia, for the purpose of growing palm trees for biofuels, resulted in a release of locked carbon. […]

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If Not Grown Wisely, Biofuels Can Emit 55 Times More CO2 Than Fossil Fuels

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:46:32 +0000

An interesting MIT study reveals that biofuels can in some circumstances generate on average 10 times more carbon dioxide than fossil fuels, depending on how they're produced. The study involved a life-cycle analysis of 14 biofuel sources.

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