Stop palm oil biofuel that drives deforestation and destroys orangutans homes
- by: Transport & Environment
- recipient: Spain MEPs'
Rainforests are cleared and burned and endangered species such as the orangutans dying to expand production of palm oil and other food-based biofuels to power our cars.
EU policies have generated huge demand for biofuels. Today, biofuels are mainly made from food crops (palm oil, rapeseed, soy). A football field of land is needed to power just two and a half cars for a year. But since most agricultural land is already being used to produce food, fragile ecosystems such as rainforests are being converted to crop fields to fuel our cars.
Just one company, Korindo, destroyed 50,000 hectares of untouched rainforests in the Indonesian island of Papua to grow palm. Right now in Europe, there is more palm oil in our cars than in our food.
Why burning palm oil in our cars?
Biofuels were meant to reduce climate-change emissions from vehicles. BUT because of deforestation and the draining of swamps, biofuels made from palm oil, rapeseed or soy are worse for the climate than fossil fuels. The cure is worse than the disease.
We now have a unique opportunity to end this lunacy. On 23rd October, the European Parliament's Environment Committee will decide whether the use of these biofuels should stop or continue as today. It is our best chance to stop the further destruction of these unique habitats that threaten orangutans and displace local communities.
By signing this petition, you are sending a clear message to your Member of the European Parliament (MEP) that you won't accept rainforests going up in flames and the real possibility of orangutan's becoming extinct in the future, because of tragically misguided efforts to clean up fuels with unsustainable biofuels.
Stop a los biocombustibles que promueven la deforestación
Estimado eurodiputado:
Es sorprendente saber que los conductores son ahora los principales consumidores de aceite de palma en Europa.
Casi todo el aceite de palma se importa de Indonesia y Malasia, donde los bosques tropicales se están talando para dejar espacio a nuevas plantaciones de palma para uso industrial. La destrucción de bosques tropicales es una amenaza directa para las comunidades locales que viven de los bosques, así como para especies en peligro de extinción como los orangutanes.
Esta deforestación implica además que el biodiésel obtenido del aceite de palma sea tres veces peor para el clima que el combustible diésel convencional. Pero incluso el biodiésel de colza producida en Europa, si se tienen en cuenta todas las emisiones directas e indirectas asociadas, es más perjudicial para el clima que el diésel convencional. En pocas palabras, el remedio (biodiésel producido a partir de aceites vegetales) es peor que la enfermedad (diésel fósil).
Este desastre provocado por el hombre es el trágico resultado de la errónea política de biocarburantes de la UE. El 23 de octubre usted tendrá la oportunidad de votar para arreglar esta fracasada normativa y encaminarla hacia una vía más limpia.
Por favor, detenga el uso de biocombustibles que impulsan la deforestación, por el bien del clima, la biodiversidad y el bienestar de las comunidades locales del sudeste asiático.
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