WHY IS BORNEO SO IMPORTANT TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE?

WHY IS BORNEO SO IMPORTANT

TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE?

Aryana Patel-Sharma, LIV

Borneo is immense. It is the third largest island on Earth, roughly twice the size of Germany. It is home to eighteen million people and over two hundred ethnic groups.

Borneo is extremely old. The rainforests are estimated to be around one hundred and forty million years old. This makes them the oldest forests on Earth and explains why such a variety of biodiversity can be found within.

Borneo is home to infinite wildlife. Fifteen thousand plant species can be found in Borneo and four hundred new species have been found since 1994. Two hundred and twenty-two mammals live there, and forty-four of those are indigenous to the island.

BORNEO IS IN PERILOUS DANGER!

Many of our leaders came together at COP26 to discuss and make a changes regarding global warming. On this topic they made claims to ‘end and reverse’ deforestation as it impacts climate change hugely. The world leaders had come up with the solution to ‘promote sustainable choices’. Frankly, it is hysterical that they believe this to be the only problem. They need to dig deeper and ask the key questions: Why are people doing this? What is in it for them?

Without having answers to these questions, they can’t ‘end and reverse’ deforestation. No one can. On top of everything they plan to end this global crisis in 2030! They need to understand the world is not going to stop and wait for them to put an end to it, everyone will carry on as normal until an alternative is found that suits them. By that time orangutans will be wiped out and more than 80% of their irreplaceable habitat will be destroyed. All we can do is cross our fingers in hope they will wake up and address the real issue… or do we?

One of the dominant reasons deforestation is not receiving the recognition it deserves is because not enough people know the crucial significance it has to our future and other living species. Deforestation is currently a huge issue in the world right now, not just in Borneo.

Whilst some people think cutting down trees is only impacting themselves and their fellow locals, others see the real global problem. It is vital for us to take immediate action on this matter and demonstrate why deforestation does matter. We need to examine the main effects of deforestation.

Firstly, orangutans are not far away from extinction. Sadly, humans’ mercenary behaviour is the main reason and obvious cause behind this. Statistics show that there are under sixty-five thousand wild orangutans left in the world! Deforestation is by far the most serious threat to orangutans. Over the last three decades almost all their natural habitat has been destroyed. This gives them no shelter or food, leading to death.

The second far more terrifying point, the prevalence of Homo sapiens is at risk of a decrease. As we all know trees are vital to our planet for the oxygen they release. With a smaller number of trees people globally are not getting enough oxygen. We need oxygen to breathe. We need to breathe to survive. It is crucial we stop cutting down trees that sustain us.

Lastly, deforestation contributes more than 10% of the carbon dioxide emissions caused by human activity which in turn accelerates the effect of global warming. What is the reason for this? When forests are cleared or burnt, they release the carbon they store. Removing trees also diminishes an important carbon ’sink’ that takes up CO2 from the atmosphere.

Unless we want to see orangutans extinct, Homo sapiens non-existent and global warming reaching a new peak the only choice we have left is to find a viable solution. But before we do that it is important that we understand why trees are being destroyed because without that knowledge there is no way of finding a good enough solution.

The answer is simple...for palm oil. The locals of Borneo are forced to cut down trees to obtain a certain item called palm oil. Palm oil is very cheap and used by big international companies to make everyday products. The locals rely on this income to support and feed their families.

Every time we buy products from companies like Nestle, Ferrero, Unilever, Colgate and Heinz we support deforestation. They have all broken their promises and illegally turned protected forests into oil palm plantations. All this exploitation is just for profit.

One thing leads to another, deforestation leads to climate change, which leads to eco system losses, which negatively impacts our livelihoods, it is a vicious cycle that we need to end. We started it; it is up to us to end it now. The solution is infront of us. income as stopping the cutting down of trees without a plan may leave the locals in financial peril. Secondly, we need to question as to who would hire them? Inviting the international offenders, Ferrero, Heinz, Unilever etc. to invest in Borneo would be ideal. It’s time for them to keep their promises. No more Green Washing! If they truly want to be sustainable, they should hire and train the locals to source substitute products to palm oil. Of course, the production plants must be eco-friendly and in keeping with the environment. Thirdly, we look back to what our original goal was. Re-forestation! We use all the profits to restore Borneo back to its original state, the way nature intended. Finally, we should reward companies who act as this would be a daring step for them and it is up to us to show them that we support their initiative by only buying products from companies who agree to take such action.

Finding an alternative for palm oil is of utmost importance. It is understandable that this might take some time as using other vegetable and plant-based oils might take up more land to grow then palm oil does. However, the only way to move past this obstacle is to strive forward and to act now. Knowing that palm oil is causing ubiquitous trees to be burnt, adding up to vast amounts of rainforests being destroyed, the least we can do is compromise on an alternative.

Research has shown the best substitute would be other tropical oils, such as coconut or babassu oil. They have similar fatty acid profiles and physiochemical properties to palm oil, making them more suitable than crop oils for use as direct replacements for palm oil. Other reliable sources have shown sunflower oil can also be used.

What can we do to help? This is not a choice for us to wait until next year or the year after to act – it is now or never. Many people do not realise that this is a battle for human rights as much as it is a battle to save the rainforest. We can all do our part in stopping deforestation, here are some simple everyday things you can do:

Plant a tree, use less paper, recycle paper and cardboard, use recycled products, buy only sustainable wood products, don’t buy products containing palm oil, reduce meat consumption, do not burn firewood excessively, practice eco-forestry, raise awareness, respect the rights of indigenous people, support organisations fighting deforestation and join a community forestry project.

With this knowledge I hope together we can stop deforestation and along the way save many endangered species to create a brighter and better future. It starts now.