Soda. Laundry detergent. Toothpaste. Palm oil is an ingredient in countless foods and toiletries we consume in America. Palm oil also is a major reason for Sumatran orangutans being endangered. Oh, and palm oil cultivation is deteriorating our ecosystem. NBD.

Studying orangutans within the Indonesian rainforests educated me on just one of many environmental problems that Earth faces. And this problem stems from careless methodologies used by big businesses to grow and export palm oil within Indonesia.

At the expense of orangutan’s way of life, companies are rapidly destroying their homeland through deforestation to grow palm oil plantations. All the while killing primates, plant life, and insects pertinent to the sustainability of these rainforests. Do read on.



Part 3. Bukit Lawang, Sumatra Indonesia. The culmination of our orangutan study.

Empowered to learn how primates and human beings are impacted by businesses.



For some, when it comes to business, apparently the only thing that matters is money.

Complete disregard for what is healthy for the environment; a very common mindset.



Rainforests contain peat lands that retain nutrients in their soil and are easier to develop.

Rather than cultivating virgin land, companies harvest rainforests. Because, economical.



When these rainforests are destroyed, orangutans go in search for food and shelter.

Villagers often find orangutans living on their land, leading to violent confrontations.



Burning forests for palm oil emits greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

Not to mention flooding and mudslides related to disturbances to the landscapes.



Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme saves the injured and malnourished.

Some orangutans are even unfit to return to the wild. Quarantines help out the cause.



Awareness

Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) are establishing new, viable orangutan populations comprised of rehabilitated and translocated orangutans, as a safety net should catastrophe befall the remaining truly wild populations.

SOCP also is developing GPS technology that provides near real-time data on an animal’s location and physiology. This data allows SOCP to enhance their monitoring activities and provide critical intervention after these animals are released into the wild.

This malignant cycle of cause and effect starts with a desire for personal gain and ends with deadly, near irreparable outcomes on the environment. But there is a third stage to this cycle. Awareness. Only after this stage can the cycle be altered for the better.

And it is only because I embarked on this journey in Indonesia that I am now more aware myself. Aware of the fact that foods and toiletries I consume in America are indirectly contributing to the problem at hand. Now, I am empowered to spread this awareness.