Bulletin #12 September Special Edition 2015.
This Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species or RAGES is a Rotarian Action Group and operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by Rotary International.
1. SEPTEMBER CHAIR REPORT
G ‘ day
RAGES continues to grow in members and a very warm welcome to all of our new members.
This month has gone by so quickly and the work load increases daily.
We are now incorporated in New South Wales Australia and will have a bank account opened on my return from New Zealand.
Our RISK Boxes are taking shape and we have set up a donation section on our web site which is to support the great work of the Rotary Club of Kenton-on -Sea in South Africa. By going to the web site below you can select a level of RISK Box that you may feel inclined to support.
May I suggest that you look at raising awareness by creating and conducting an awareness project in aid of the RISK Boxes project for rhinos.
RISK BOXES.
Precious Moments by Paula Wiegmink.
Paula, based in Dunsborough, South West Australia, was born in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Having spent her early childhood on farms, she soon developed a love for the African bush and wildlife. Her interest in drawing and painting emerged at a very early age. Encouraged by her mother, she started sketching the animals on the farm and doing portraits of anyone willing to sit still long enough!
Paula kindly gave us her permission to use her painting “Tears of the Rhino” for our Say No! poster campaign and to use “Tears for the Rhino” for our symbol for all endangered species. We will always be indebted to Paula for her kind gesture.
Paula Wiegmink Web Site
This month I have devoted the newsletter to the state of the destruction of forests in Indonesia to make way for palm oil plantations. We are looking at ways that we can do something positive to stop the consumption of palm oil. It is definitely something that we can all take part in and make a difference.
Get back to us with your ideas for these wonderful primates and how your members can get involved. I encourage you all to do some research on the use of palm oil and where you find this product in everyday products.
I would like to thank Rebecca Buswell from the Orangutan Project in Perth Western Australia for her help in my initial research on the orangutan.
The Orangutan Project.
Once again as a Rotarian and or a Rotaractor I invite you to join us in Seoul in May 2016 at the Rotary International Convention (RICON 2016). We have booked a booth in the House of Friendship for RICON 2016 in Seoul. We will probably be allowed a breakout session as well as holding our First AGM in Seoul. Can you get back to me if you will be in Seoul and can help with the RAGES booth please?
Yours in Rotary
John Glassford
Chair 2014 -2016
Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species
Rotary Club of Coolamon District 9700
New South Wales, Australia
ORANGUTANS SURVIVAL
Extinction in the wild is likely in the next 10 years for Sumatran Orangutans and soon after for Bornean Orangutans. The Sumatran species (Pongo abelii) is Critically Endangered and the Bornean species (Pongo pygmaeus) of orangutans is Endangered according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
The Sumatran and Bornean Orangutans’ rainforest habitats are disappearing at an alarming rate due to deforestation and clearing of the land for pulp paper and palm oil plantations, with the remaining forest degraded by drought and forest fires.
Indonesia is home to some of the most rich and bio-diverse rainforests in the world.
It contains over 80 endemic species and some of the world’s most unique and iconic endangered wildlife such as the orangutan, elephant and tiger.
But these animals are in grave danger.
Every hour 300 football fields of precious remaining forest is being ploughed to the ground across South East Asia to make way for palm oil plantations.
Palm oil is used in everything from snack foods to soaps. It is found in over half all packaged items on our supermarket shelves.
In the last 20 years, over 3.5 million hectares of Indonesian and Malaysian forest have been destroyed to make way for palm oil.
Almost 80% of orangutan habitat has disappeared in the last 20 years.
We are losing over 6,000 orangutans a year.
There are now only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the world.
We must stop this devastation in its tracks.
PALM OIL FACTS
Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the fruit of oil palm trees. These oil palms are grown across the region of the equator but mostly in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Palm oil is used across the world as it is a very versatile product which can be found in practically every other product from food to cleaning products, makeup and toothpaste. You would easily find it in many of your household products and have probably used it today.
Palm oil production has increased considerably over the past twenty years as it is easy to produce and cheap to purchase. The industry employs hundreds of thousands of people around the world and it’s estimated that 570,000 people and producers export up to the equivalent of 22 billion Australian dollars of palm oil per annum.
HOW TO AVOID PALM OIL
For starters, palm oil is very high in saturated fat. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Diets high in saturated fat have been linked to chronic disease, specifically coronary heart disease.” And the American Heart Association links saturated fats to increased cholesterol levels, which can up your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Alarmingly, chips made with palm oil contain 75 percent more saturated fat than chips made with sunflower or canola oil! Palm kernel oil, which is palm oil harvested from the pit rather than the fruit, contains even more fat, plus it cannot be obtained organically, as the oil must be extracted from the pit with a gasoline-like hydrocarbon solvent. (Sounds delicious, right?)
Manufacturers like palm oil for its stability (read: longer shelf life) and melting characteristics, but the bottom line is that palm oil is a cheap, unhealthy fat that is primarily used by companies to increase profits.
Here are six reliable ways to avoid palm oil:
1. The most common name palm oil is disguised under is “vegetable oil.”
2. Most prepackaged snack foods made by corporate giants (Nestle, Unilever, etc.) contain palm oil.
3. If a product’s saturated fat content makes up more than 40 percent of its total fat content, it will almost always contain palm oil.
4. Ingredients with the word ‘palm’ in them are palm oil or are derived from the oil palm fruit.
5. If you’re not sure whether a product contains palm oil, either type the product name into your search engine along with ‘palm oil’ and scan the search results, or contact the company and ask if they use palm oil.
6. To avoid palm oil, choose products that contain clearly labeled oils, such as 100-percent sunflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, coconut oil or canola oil.
Kellogg’s use palm oil however they say that they source their palm oil from sustainable plantations which are fully traceable:
Kellogg Company commits to “fully traceable” sourcing of palm oil
PALM OIL FREE PRODUCTS
Palm oil is a hidden ingredient in food products. You have the right to know if palm oil is contained in the products you buy because of the environmental and social impacts of its production.
- Sneaky labeling makes it difficult for consumers to identify palm oil in supermarket products.
- It is found in over half packaged food products in supermarkets such as chocolate, biscuits, cereals, margarine, soup, crisps and ice cream.
THERE ARE ONLY A FEW WEB SITES AND SO FAR ALL THAT I CAN FOUND ARE BASED IN AUSTRALIA THAT ADVERTISE PALM OIL FREE PRODUCTS:
Shop On Line Palm Oil Free
Facebook Page Palm Oil Free
Helping You Buy Responsibly
The app is free to download and available to anyone concerned about the impact of unregulated palm oil supply used in products. It will make it easier for people to choose which products to purchase at the supermarket with the app telling them immediately whether the product contains palm oil and if so, if it has been sourced ethically.
Palm Oil Scanner App.
Orphans!
THE POSTER CAMPAIGN.
Our latest signature to the Say NO! Poster Campaign are John and Ange Lemon who Say No!
John and Ange Lemon are an Australian couple working to save the endangered Painted Dogs of Africa. They are also known as African Wild Dogs/Cape Hunting Dogs; however the use of Painted Dogs is more widespread as the former names infer that they are domestic dogs gone wild-whereas in fact they are not related to dogs at all! They have been a separate genus for over 10 million years, and cannot interbreed with any other species on earth-so when the remaining 5000 are gone, they are gone forever.
They recently partnered with Kevin Richardson in the fight against Canned Hunting, and hosted him in Australia in June 2015 to over 600 people at three events in one week-raising over $100,000 for their field projects and Kevin’s campaign.
Once again many thanks to Duke Ingram and Rubin Besureis for meeting with Ange and John and obtaining their support for the Say NO! Poster Campaign.
For more information on the amazing work The Painted Dog Conservation is doing please visit:
www.painteddogconservation.iinet.net.au
Duke Ingram walking the talk in London.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION SEOUL 2016
Your Board is calling for volunteers who will be in Seoul next May 28th-June 2nd 2016.
We will need help to man our RAGES Booth in the House of Friendship and also the possibility of holding a break out session.
Our AGM will also be set for Seoul.
It is a requirement as a Rotarian Action Group to hold our Annual General Meeting at the RI Convention. In 2016 it will be in Seoul.
Get back to me if you are going and can help. It is not too early to plan for this event. I will be going.
Seoul is the ideal location for a Rotary convention and a delightful travel destination to explore. You’ll find traditional tea houses and regal palaces alongside posh shopping malls and bustling markets. Make sure to include extra time in your travel plans to experience the wonders of South Korea.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 61 2 6927 6027 {61 is the code for Australia}.
Postal: 22 Moore Street, GANMAIN, NEW SOUTH WALES 2701, AUSTRALIA.