Malaysia Aims For Sustainable Palm Oil Industry
Interesting article at the International Herald Tribune this morning. A little while back I wrote a post about a George Monbiot article which questioned the sustainability of the biodiesel industry (see Biodiesel - “The Most Carbon-Intensive Fuel On Earth”?) - ok, maybe ‘questioned’ is too tame a word. Regardless, he made some interesting points re: the destructive nature the thriving palm oil industry in the tropics.
Well it sounds as though the Malaysian government is starting to take some action (or at least talking about taking some action) to help ensure that the palm oil industry becomes sustainable.
Here is a blurb:
In the speech, Najib [Deputy Prime Minister] said it is necessary to develop a globally acceptable definition of sustainable palm oil production and use, as well as to implement better management practices.
He noted that development of new plantations has led to cutting down large areas of forests, threatening rich biodiversity in their ecosystems. Also, use of fire to clear land for plantations has contributed to forest fires and haze. The clearing of vast tracts of land has also led to social conflicts between local communities and project proponents, he said.
While Malaysian palm oil is produced using sustainable practices, the “industry is open to collaboration to enhance its high standards,” the speech said.
To underscore its seriousness, Malaysia has launched a Palm Oil Wildlife Conservation Fund with an anticipated outlay of 20 million ringgit (US$5.6 million; €4.2 million), he said.
Interesting that he would say Malaysian palm oil is already produced using sustainable practices, after admitting that that the industry has caused massive deforestation and social conflict. Hmmmm…
Anyway, hopefully the “collaboration” with others will lead to a substantially higher sustainability standards.
Should be interesting to see how this develops.
Technorati Tags: biofuel, biodiesel, palm oil, malaysia, green fuel, alternative energy, sustainability, sustainable
Written by Bentley on December 5th, 2006 with
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