He shares 97% of my genes. How could I not care? His name translates into English as “man of the forest” That’s how the natives of Borneo saw the orang hutan, a man of the forest.
Yet in North America, few seem aware of the pending extinction of this primate due to the cultivation of palm oil. Its true that we have our hands more than full with fights to save the polar bear and other species threatened with extinction because of OUR own clear cutting for timber, farms and new subdivisions. Yet, to ignore what is happening in Indonesia, is like putting out one small flame while starting a fire unknowingly because what is driving the intense expansions of palm oil plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia is the demand for palm oil.
Palm oil that is low in transfats, grows quickly and produces higher yields than other oil seeds. These are the basic reasons why demand has skyrocketed and with agrofuel being slated for it, the destruction to follow is unimaginable.
We are all unwitting supporters of this destruction and to stay silent would be to endorse this unfolding tragedy. From the cookies we eat to the skincreams we use, we’re driving demand up even higher and if we as consumers do not say today that we need palm oil to be sustainably grown, the damage done will be irreversible.
The problems caused by palm cultivation is starting to make world headlines as more species are threatened with extinction.It was however disappointing to note that the news does not even crack the back pages of most North American papers.
The producers and the users of palm oil know that the news is starting to trickle through and have started on sustainable palm oil but for now, most of it is all talk and little effective action. The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil was formed in 2004 with its core members being producers,users and a few environmental groups thrown in for greenness sakes. It is a certifying body that few trust or believe in as the actions of its own members continually go against its own policies.
It is however, a starting point and other third party certifiers are using the RSPO as a platform from which to launch their versions of sustainable palm oil. In the words of one of these parties,” it will ultimately be up to the consumer to decide the fates of these animals under the gun”
I personally am taking on the issues for selfish reasons. Indonesia is the 3rd largest producer of global warming emissions, most of it attributable to palm oil cultivation. Global warming will increase the risk of my polar bears, it will add to the oceans acidifications that will wipe out my seafood and it will ultimately add to a global food crisis as it changes weather patterns.
Showing posts with label sustainable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainable. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sustainable lives at ecogear
Sustainable Living
Incredible Ecogear
An Introduction
Sustainable lives at ecogear means making conscious lifestyle decisions, examining every aspect of our daily lives to find out what we’ve done so wrong all these years that mother nature herself is on the verge of collapsing on us.
In looking back at the way we’ve lived, its clear that those lifestyles could not go on and the recession we’re in has been the best wake up call. We cannot afford to consume the way we have, with reckless disregard for the consequences of our daily actions.
In moving onward, we all must step up to the next level, discard our animal ways of stuffing ourselves without regard for tomorrow, we must leave our fascination for bright lights and trinkets behind and find joy in the warm glow of long burn sustainable lives.
At ecogear, our mission is to simply offer everyday consumer products that will not harm the environment in its manufacture, its use and its end fate. For that reason, we have focussed only on products that do not call for excessive energy to produce or leave a murky soup of toxins. We use all natural materials wherever we find them, insist on certified organic ingredients, package our products with minimal packaging so that when you’re done with it, all that’s left is the faintest of footprints on the environment.
Our clothing is made from 100% recycled fibres.
Eco factors :
- landfill diversion from recovered preconsumer cotton clippings.Recycled water bottles.
- Least water and energy used to produce fabric.
- Sewn and printed in Canada from US fabrics.
- printed with organic inks and/or water based inks with zero PVC/pthalates.
- Hangtags,if present, printed on 100% recycled paper.Attached with jute string and reusable pin.
- Zero presence of any petroleum based product,with the exception of the recycled PET bottles.
Our bodycare products are made from certified organic ingredients
Eco factors :
- certified organic all natural ingredients
- zero petroleum based product.
- least energy as its hand made.
- label is printed on 100% recycled paper, designed with minimal print to provide just
enough visual appeal.
Our fashion jewellery is made from all natural materials,including tree nuts and seeds.
Eco factors:
- least energy used.
- No petroleum based products.
- Minimal mining, the earring hooks are sterling silver but that’s it.
- Least chemicals used. Some of the seeds,nuts are dyed with organic based dyes.
- Fair trade product from Colombia. To meet the designer, please visit her page.
Our coco wares is made from recovered coconut trunks or the coconut shell itself.
Ecofactors :
- all natural solid blocks of coconut trunk
- no laminates or lacquers.
- Least energy used.
- Fair trade product from Vietnam.We will be sending 10 children to school through our trade with the cocowares. These are the children of the workers who work on our cocowares. Full details and names available online.
Environmental.
Incredible ecogear is a firm supporter of environmental actions and through its Special Tees program, raises funds for various groups that campaign for human rights and the environment.
Transparency.
As a part of the company’s total transparency policy, all details of the company’s operations, its manufacturing sources are available to any consumer groups that want to verify its environmental claims or fair trade status.
Incredible Ecogear
An Introduction
Sustainable lives at ecogear means making conscious lifestyle decisions, examining every aspect of our daily lives to find out what we’ve done so wrong all these years that mother nature herself is on the verge of collapsing on us.
In looking back at the way we’ve lived, its clear that those lifestyles could not go on and the recession we’re in has been the best wake up call. We cannot afford to consume the way we have, with reckless disregard for the consequences of our daily actions.
In moving onward, we all must step up to the next level, discard our animal ways of stuffing ourselves without regard for tomorrow, we must leave our fascination for bright lights and trinkets behind and find joy in the warm glow of long burn sustainable lives.
At ecogear, our mission is to simply offer everyday consumer products that will not harm the environment in its manufacture, its use and its end fate. For that reason, we have focussed only on products that do not call for excessive energy to produce or leave a murky soup of toxins. We use all natural materials wherever we find them, insist on certified organic ingredients, package our products with minimal packaging so that when you’re done with it, all that’s left is the faintest of footprints on the environment.
Our clothing is made from 100% recycled fibres.
Eco factors :
- landfill diversion from recovered preconsumer cotton clippings.Recycled water bottles.
- Least water and energy used to produce fabric.
- Sewn and printed in Canada from US fabrics.
- printed with organic inks and/or water based inks with zero PVC/pthalates.
- Hangtags,if present, printed on 100% recycled paper.Attached with jute string and reusable pin.
- Zero presence of any petroleum based product,with the exception of the recycled PET bottles.
Our bodycare products are made from certified organic ingredients
Eco factors :
- certified organic all natural ingredients
- zero petroleum based product.
- least energy as its hand made.
- label is printed on 100% recycled paper, designed with minimal print to provide just
enough visual appeal.
Our fashion jewellery is made from all natural materials,including tree nuts and seeds.
Eco factors:
- least energy used.
- No petroleum based products.
- Minimal mining, the earring hooks are sterling silver but that’s it.
- Least chemicals used. Some of the seeds,nuts are dyed with organic based dyes.
- Fair trade product from Colombia. To meet the designer, please visit her page.
Our coco wares is made from recovered coconut trunks or the coconut shell itself.
Ecofactors :
- all natural solid blocks of coconut trunk
- no laminates or lacquers.
- Least energy used.
- Fair trade product from Vietnam.We will be sending 10 children to school through our trade with the cocowares. These are the children of the workers who work on our cocowares. Full details and names available online.
Environmental.
Incredible ecogear is a firm supporter of environmental actions and through its Special Tees program, raises funds for various groups that campaign for human rights and the environment.
Transparency.
As a part of the company’s total transparency policy, all details of the company’s operations, its manufacturing sources are available to any consumer groups that want to verify its environmental claims or fair trade status.
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