Tag Archives: deforestation

Species Extinction: just how bad is it and why should we care?

This is arguably society’s biggest challenge, and arguably its biggest failure: the continuing loss of species from Earth. The massive impact we are having on the planet has firmly entrenched us in a period of our history commonly called the Anthropocene.

Background or “normal” rates of extinction vary through time but are typically in the order of one to two species per year. Current rates of extinction, however, are estimated to have reached 1000 to 10,000 times this rate. Help animals to survive when you shop and be #Vegan 🌿🍌🍇 #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸🤮☠️#Boycott4Wildlife

Sulawesi Hornbill Rhabdotorrhinus exarhatus

The Sulawesi hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus exarhatus) is a striking and large yellow and black bird endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Known for their unique vocalisations and social nature, including communal shared breeding practices, these medium-sized hornbills are integral to the rainforest ecosystem, acting as crucial seed dispersers for many important tree species.

Sadly, the Sulawesi hornbill is classified as Vulnerable due to habitat destruction from logging, agriculture, and palm oil plantations, as well as poaching for the illegal pet trade. Protecting their remaining rainforest habitats is essential to ensuring their survival. Fight for their survival every time you shop. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Pygmy Marmoset Cebuella niveiventris and Cebuella pygmaea

The petite pygmy #marmoset, the world’s tiniest true #monkey, boasts a mix of brownish-gold, grey, and tawny fur. These little wonders, weighing just around 100 grams, communicate uniquely using chemical, vocal, and visual cues to ensure group safety and harmony. Although these #marmosets prefer river-edge forests and can adapt to secondary forests, their homes are under serious threat. Rampant #deforestation for #meat, #goldmining, and #palmoil cultivation are eroding their habitats, pushing the subspecies Cebuella niveiventris towards a “Vulnerable” status. The situation is dire, with an estimated 30% reduction in their population in just 18 years. Protect these delicate creatures and their home – use your wallet as a weapon, be #vegan, #BoycottPalmOil, and #Boycott4Wildlife.🌳🐒

Giant Anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla

Giant Anteaters have a striking and unforgettable appearance. They are covered in wiry, grey and brown fur with a distinctive black and white stripe running along their bodies. Their elongated snouts and long, sticky tongues are perfectly adapted for feeding on ants and termites. With their bushy tails and long, curved claws, they are supremely strange looking creatures, making them captivating to behold.

The Giant Anteater is classed as Vulnerable due to widespread deforestation and #palmoil, soy, meat, sugarcane and gold mining across their range. They are often victims to frequent deliberate and accidentally lit fires in the Amazon. These gentle creatures are becoming increasingly rare. But there’s a lot of actions you can take. Make sure you #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold #Boycottmeat and #Boycott4Wildlife to help them every time you shop.

Research: Boycotts Are Worthwhile and Effective

Despite sustained and vigorous attempts by corporates and industry certification schemes like RSPO, MSC and FSC to downplay the impact and effectiveness of consumer boycotts, it turns out that boycotts are impactful and drive social change. They force profit-first and greedy corporations to change their ways and do better. They also create a tangible sense of empowerment and agency for consumer-citizens who want to participate in civil society in a meaningful way in improving the world, both as individuals and in collective groups.

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

Protect African Forest Elephants! These critically endangered ecosystem engineers are vital for rainforest health but face extinction from poaching, ecocide

Dayak Indigenous Ethnographer Dr Setia Budhi

Dr Setia Budhi is a senior lecturer in Anthropology and Sociology at Universitas Lambung Mangkurat. He is an indigenous advocate, forest conservationist and a research specialist in Dayak ethnography in South, Central and East Kalimantan. He completed his PhD in 2010 at UKM Malaysia under the supervision of Prof. Awang Hasmadi Awang Moeis and Prof. Aishah Bt Mohamed. He now serves as Head of the Sociology Department and a member of the Indonesian Anthropology Association of South Kalimantan-Indonesia.

His research relates to the Dayak people and impact of socio-cultural changes, exploitation of natural resources and modernisation on their lives. In particular, he investigates how the depletion of the forest affects the availability of food sources for Indigenous Dayak peoples.

Africa’s rainforests are different. Why it matters that they’re protected

Around 2 million km² of #Africa is covered by tropical #rainforests. They are second only in extent to those in #Amazonia, which cover around 6 million km². Rainforests are home to vast numbers of species of #primates #birds #insects and more. For example, the world’s tropical rainforests are estimated to be home to at least 40,000 tree species, with up to 6,000 in African forests. Protect all rainforests before it’s too late, every time you shop use your wallet as a weapon and be #Vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boyott4Wildlife

Black Bearded Saki Chiropotes satanas

Beneath the towering canopy of the Amazon’s north-eastern forests, the black bearded saki moves with quiet purpose, their distinctive shaggy beard and robust body a testament to their resilience in a world under siege. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and the distant calls of unseen creatures, but the forest is changing—#roads, #dams, and #agriculture are carving scars across the landscape, fragmenting the saki’s ancestral home. The black bearded saki’s survival is threatened by relentless deforestation and hunting, their fate bound to the fate of the forest—fight for their survival every time you shop #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

Demand for meat is driving deforestation in Brazil – changing the soy industry could stop it

For many people, soy as a commodity has a pretty innocuous reputation thanks to its association with vegan food and meat alternatives. However don’t be fooled – crops of this pale legume are behind much of Brazil’s epidemic of deforestation. Much more #soy is fed to farm animals that people eat than is used in vegan food. Since 2000, #Brazil has doubled its total area of soy plantation to 36 million hectares and become the world’s largest producer. This expansion has erased vast swathes of forest and other habitats in some of the country’s most biodiverse regions. Soy, along with palm oil and meat deforestation are the biggest land-hungry commodities in South America and threaten the world’s largest rainforest biosphere. Help fight against this ecocide every time you shop, be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Northern Tiger Cat (Oncilla) Leopardus tigrinus

The northern tiger cat, also known as the oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus), is a captivating small wild cat native to Central and South America. Distinguished by their striking, leopard-like coat marked with dark rosettes and a sleek, agile body, this elusive feline is a master of stealth and survival in the dense forests and grasslands they inhabit.

The northern tiger cat is a tiny predator, weighing only 1.5–3 kg, yet they play a significant role in maintaining ecological balance as a keystone predator. These solitary creatures, though mostly ground-dwelling, are adept climbers. They communicate through purring as kittens and have a unique “gurgle” as adults. Their habitats range from the semi-arid Caatinga to the Andean cloud forests. Tragically, this species is classified as Vulnerable, with populations declining due to habitat destruction for palm oil, soy, meat and mining, poaching, and habitat fragmentation. Indigenous-led conservation efforts are vital to protect their remaining habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Black-Throated monitor Varanus albigularis microstictus

The Black-Throated Monitor is a mighty and large lizard reaching over 2 metres long. They are threatened by agriculture deforestation and #hunting for their leather and meat in Tanzania, Africa. Help them every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

A global juggling act: feeding the world, saving species

Our planet is on the precipice of a sixth mass extinction event. But unlike the five previous mass extinctions, this one is man-made: a global biodiversity crisis in which species are disappearing three to 12 times faster than the “normal” rate of extinction. A massive driver of this extinction is how humans eat. Be #Vegan for the animals #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Primatologist Cleve Hicks on Chimpanzee cultures, Palm Oil deforestation

Dr Hicks speaks with Palm Oil Detectives about his chimpanzee research, veganism, deforestation, palm oil and what consumers can do to help the endangered animals of Africa.

What, Why and Where of Black Leopards

Did you know that Black #leopards only differ from other leopards by the colour of their coat, a genetic variation that’s #recessive also known as melanism? One of their threats is #palmoil #deforestation. Help their survival be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket

Palm Oil Lobbyists Getting Caught Lying Orangutan Land Trust and Agropalma

For decades, investigative journalists have been exposing that illegal land grabbing from Indigenous peoples as a regular occurrence in West Papua, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. Indigenous people’s land is being forcibly (and often violently) taken from them by predatory palm oil companies. Major supermarket brands and also palm oil producers that areContinue reading “Palm Oil Lobbyists Getting Caught Lying Orangutan Land Trust and Agropalma”

Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata

Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata IUCN Status: Near Threatened Location: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo), China (Yunnan, Guangxi, Tibet), Brunei The marbled cat is a small #wildcat that can be found in the eastern part of the Himalayas and southern Asia. They are related to the Asian GoldenContinue reading “Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata”

One-fifth of reptiles heading towards extinction

Almost one-fifth of the world’s reptiles are currently threatened with extinction.A recent study assessed 1500 species for extinction risks. From the 19% found to be in danger, 12% were classified as Critically Endangered, 41% as Endangered and 47% Vulnerable. Three of the species listed as being Critically Endangered are believed to be possibly extinct. ThisContinue reading “One-fifth of reptiles heading towards extinction”

Wildlife Photographer Craig Jones

One of Britain’s finest wildlife photographers, Craig Jones uses his own words to bear witness to the awesome love and intelligence of orangutans, and also shares stories of the immense suffering of orangutans and other species within RSPO member palm oil plantations. Craig is an absolute inspiration to photographers, animal lovers and conservationists. It is an honour to showcase his work and stories on Palm Oil Detectives.

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey Lagothrix flavicauda

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkeys are social and active during daylight hours, living in groups with a dominant male, mature males and females, and young monkeys. They communicate through vocalizations like a loud, barking call. Endemic to the Peruvian Andes, they thrive in montane rainforests and cloud forests. They face an existential threat from habitat loss due to palm oil, soy and meat deforestation. Let’s unite to protect these precious creatures by boycotting palm oil, adopting a vegan lifestyle, and raising awareness for them. Together, we can protect the Peruvian Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkeys and their habitat. 🌳🐒💚 #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla

Mighty, intelligent and gentle Western Lowland Gorillas are well-loved apes, they are #critically endangered by #deforestation and habitat loss for #palmoil, cocoa and mining along with disease and illegal poaching in #Congo #Nigeria #Cameroon Help them to survive every time you shop! Join the #Boycott4Wildlife

Forgotten Animals of Secretly Destroyed Forests

Don’t let the forests go silent! 1000’s of forgotten animals are nearing extinction due to palm oil deforestation. Take action and boycott palm oil today!

The rise of ultra-processed foods and why they’re really bad for our health

Unlike traditionally produced foods humans have been making for many millennia, ultra-processed foods contain ingredients to prolong their shelf-life and artificially augment the food’s taste or texture. This occurs at the expense of nutritional value and as a result, human populations with a high consumption of ultra processed foods like palm oil, saturated fats and refined sugar are at high risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity along with increased mortality risk from cardiovascular disease, #stroke, #dementia and gastrointestinal #cancer. Take action for your #health and #BoycottPalmOil

Eyewitness by Craig Jones: A mother and baby orangutan are rescued from an RSPO palm oil plantation in Sumatra

Bio: Craig Jones One of Britain’s finest wildlife photographers, Craig Jones is also one of the most humble and down-to-earth guys you will ever meet. His photography and stories capture the lives of endangered rainforest animals that we hold so dearly to our hearts: Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants, Siamangs and more. His workContinue reading “Eyewitness by Craig Jones: A mother and baby orangutan are rescued from an RSPO palm oil plantation in Sumatra”

Dusky Langur Trachypithecus obscurus

The dusky langur, also known as the spectacled langur or dusky leaf monkey, is one of Southeast Asia’s most charismatic primates. Living in #Thailand, #Myanmar and #Malaysia they have vivid white eye patches that resemble spectacles and a fluffy dark-grey coat, they cut an unmistakable figure against the rustling emerald canopy of the rainforest. These intelligent and agile #monkeys play a crucial role in their ecosystems by dispersing seeds, keeping forests healthy and thriving. Yet, deforestation for agriculture—particularly #palmoil, rubber, and durian plantations—alongside hunting and illegal #wildlifetrade, is pushing them closer to extinction. Without urgent intervention, the forests they call home will be razed, and their populations will continue to plummet. Use your voice to protect them—fight for their survival and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife every time you shop

Baird’s Tapir Tapirus bairdii

Baird’s tapirs may look like they are relatives of elephants, but they’re actually closer kin to horses, donkeys, zebras, and rhinoceroses. Also known as the Central American tapir, they are the largest land mammals in Central America and a living relic of an ancient lineage.

Their robust, stocky bodies and distinctive trunk-like snout make them unique among mammals. However, they are now Endangered, with fewer than 5,000 individuals left in the wild.

Tragically, palm oil, soy and meat deforestation, hunting, and human encroachment are driving this species toward extinction. Protecting their habitats is critical to ensuring their survival. Use your wallet as a weapon—boycott palm oil and support conservation initiatives. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Climate Explained: what would happen if we cut down the Amazon rainforest?

What would happen if we cut down the entire Amazon rainforest? Could it be replaced by an equal amount of reforestation elsewhere? Removing the entire Amazon rainforest would have myriad consequences, with the most obvious ones possibly not the worst. Most people will first think of the carbon currently stored in the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest. But the consequences would be far-reaching for the climate as well as biodiversity and ecosystems — and, ultimately, people. Fight for animals, indigenous peoples and the planet itself #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold and #Boycott4Wildlife

Varied White-fronted Capuchin Cebus versicolor

The Varied White-Fronted Capuchin Cebus versicolor is an intelligent, tenacious and resourceful small primate endemic to the forests of Colombia. With their pale white faces, reddish-gold coats, they are both striking in appearance and crucial to their ecosystems. These capuchins play an essential role in seed dispersal, ensuring the health and regeneration of their forest homes.

Tragically, their populations are declining due to deforestation, hunting, and the illegal wildlife trade. Protecting these forests is critical to their survival. Support indigenous-led conservation, adopt a vegan lifestyle and #BoycottPalmOil and #Boycott4Wildlife to take meaningful action for these incredible primates.

Crested Capuchin Sapajus robustus

Crested Capuchins are one of Brazil’s most endangered primates. A few thousand remain, facing extinction due to palm oil, mining, soy. Take action for them!

Why you should stop buying new clothes

Alana James, Northumbria University, Newcastle The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, producing 20% of global wastewater and 10% of global carbon emissions – and it’s estimated that by 2050 this will have increased to 25%. A staggering 300,000 tonnes of clothes are sent to British landfills each year.Continue reading “Why you should stop buying new clothes”