Palm Oil Affecting Climate

Guillermo Paz

What is palm oil?

Pal oil is obtained from the fruit of the African palm. These oil is used in many products we consume. It is present in foods, cosmetics, personal care, cleaning products and it also used for biodiesel.

 The fruit that gives the palm is divided in two parts. One is called the kernel which is the centre white thing of the fruit. This one gives palm kernel oil. The other one is called the mesocrap, this is the yellow reddish part which surrounds the centre. This one is the part that gives palm oil.

What is it causing?
The African palm is being planted all over the world. The largest plantations are in Malaysia and Indonesia. They have been clearing out enormous areas of the forest to create these huge areas of plantation. The process of clearing them, and the clearing has massive effects on climate.

 They have been destroying the forest by many forms. They have been burning, bulldozing, and cutting the forest. The effect of this is that it has gigantic CO2 emissions. Having the effect of climate change. Making smoke cloud all over the area and even near by towns or cities.

 Destroying these forests also generates a massive scale of deforestation. The rainforest in Indonesia and Malaysia is one of the few rainforests left in the world. These forest provide us with oxygen, and recycle the green house gas co2. By destroying the forest we have less recyclers so we have less oxygen, and more co2. At the end we increase global warming.