The problem with palm oil

According to an article in the Montreal Gazette yesterday (June 16/08), palm oil is 'one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis'. The author, Glenn Hurowitz claims that

'Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which 65,000 square kilometres have been cleared and burned to make way for palm-oil plantations.

'That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No.3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers, and other endangered wildlife.'

Palm oil is found in an incredible number of processed consumer goods, including soap, hair conditioner, chocolate, cereal, crackers...even Girl Scout cookies. The alternative is to use healthier vegetable oils like canola.

It's already a habit of mine to read the ingredients list on products. I look for low-sodium in processed foods (the few I buy) and for shampoos without laurel sulfate. Now I'm going to have to add palm oil to the list. Maybe we all should.