Thursday, March 1st, 2018
Author: Vanessa Steinmetz and Karl Vandenhole
Source: Spiegel Online (Germany)
Publication Date:
Link: The Palm Oil Problem
Stephan: What happens when workers in developing countries are hired to exploit the environment of their company to the benefit of a distant corporation is that stopping the depredations means living the workers jobless. Yet another example of making profit the first priority.
It confronts a consumer with a very difficult moral choice. Stop participating in the exploitation of the planet and cause workers to lose their jobs. Or, support workers have job even though it means planetary degradation.
The answer I think is that the planet's meta-systems must come first, and the corporations who did this should be required to expend a negotiated percentage of their profits to restore the environment using those same workers, and assist them to develop a sustainable healthful culture.
In the meantime stop using anything with Palm oil in it. Read labels.
A palm oil plantation cut out of the jungle. Credit: Big Spoon Roasters
A sandy track leads toward the jungle. The workers’ two four-by-four vehicles splash through deep puddles as they pass the long lines of palm trees and the bushes that grow in between.
The men have affixed metal poles to the beds of the pickups, each with a sickle-shaped blade screwed onto the end.
After three-quarters of an hour, the vehicles come to a halt. Pon Churom, who goes by Pot, is the leader of the team, members of which now begin to cut ripe leaves and fruit bunches from the tops of the palm trees. Each time one of the heavy bunches plummets to earth, the ground shakes. The fruits are ready for harvest once they have turned bright red:
The Knife Men
The fields where cutters like Pot and his colleagues work […]
It’s quite obvious to me that people still are not listening. NO OIL! All free oils in our diet claim the same damage to our veins and arteries as does saturated animal fat, making heart and stroke the #1 cause of death and disability in both America and Canada. That the junk food and prepackaged industries knows that oils become addictive on the palette is one thing.
The mechanism is simple. The final cells lining our veins and arteries are known as endothelial cells. They have one purpose: to release nitric oxide gas in order to speed blood flow ‘round our bawdies. These become clogged with plaque and cholesterol. That condition is known as atherosclerosis. The first indication of blood flow problems is ED. No, it’s not exactly what you think. ED is a euphemism for Early Death. While it used to plague older men, the age has now dropped into the 40’s. And you wondered why Viagra was so sought after. Don’t! Homo stupidio in action or maybe that’s non-action.
John I disagree that all fat is bad for you. This view has changed over the last few years. Certain kinds of even saturated fats are healthy. And I’m not talking processed foods but real foods eaten by humans for unknown thousands of years.
The rapeseed oil has the potential to kill gut bacteria, so it should never be eaten.
@ Will: I did not state that all fats are bad. Let’s be clear here, hear? 🙂 It’s the saturated animal fats and the processed, stripped plant oils only. Whole plant fats are fine such as whole unsweetened coconut, seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin. Nuts are fine too, but, not handfuls, even peanuts, which are actually a legume. Avocados become a secondary butter for vegans next to hummus. Read these stateside docs and think again Will. Greger, Esselstyn, McDougall, Barnard, Klapper to name a few. My highest recommendation is to sign up for the weekly news blogs and videos from Dr. Michael Greger at http://www.nutritionfacts.org As Carley sang so many years ago; “Nobody does it better”. That’ll keep you busy.
That’s Dr. Michael Klaper with one ‘p’. Apologies.