The Bad Oil

[atom_kat]

Cadbury have been outed lately as having added Palm Oil to their chocolate recipe. For those of you who don't know, Palm Oil Plantations are the cause of an incredible amount of the destruction of rainforests in south east asia, causing the loss of our planets lungs, and endangering the habitat of many already endangered animals like the Orangatang

Comments

[creepingfeature]

There's a list of the additives/chemical names derived from palm oil here sodium laureth sulphate etc is in a lot of shampoos and body washes and similar products, however some of them label specifically if it's derived from coconut oil. So many products are simply labeled 'vegetable oil' so it's really difficult to omit altogether when you don't know where it's sourced from. As you say as demand for palm oil decreases a replacement will be found, which will still contribute to habitat loss/deforestation in some way. But the possible extinction of Orang utans due to habitat loss would be very poor form indeed so addressing the immediate issue is important.

The way I figure it the problem is with the amount people consume, and the hidden costs of 'convenience' that we've come to accept as normal. I think that sourcing local/organic produce and finding cleaning product alternatives that are perhaps less convenient or even a bit old fashioned, would help conserve resources all round.

[atom_kat]

Thanks! I'm one of those people who clean with Vinegar and baking soda where possible. Still using laundry powders and some other cleaners though. It's breaking old habits and trying new things until they become the norm. We also make most of our foods from scratch and are trying to cut down on packaging through what we buy. It's tricky balancing want, need , affordability and old habits with changing ideas and learning new habits.

All info, thoughts and ideas are very welcome!

[hoodooyoudo]

Unilever is made of evil

[atom_kat]

It's the people friendly face they bring to their advertising. Shows how easy it is to be fooled into being comfortable with a company. "Ohhh Dove support REAL women, not beauty ideas, so they MUST be ok!". Marketing at it's best.