Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Help Me Help The Orangutans

I'll give you the truth.  I'm not a big fan of monkeys - really I don't like them as they kind of creep me out.  But today, I saw a very upsetting image of an Orangutan who had been run over or burned or... I don't know what happened to it but the poor thing had skin off it and it was bleeding.  People were helping it, but they were too late by this time, this animal was in so much pain it did something so very... human.  This animal covered its face with its hand and curled up on its side - just like we would if we were hurt this badly.

I think you all know which image I'm talking about.  

However, I can't find it anymore and so, I'm kinda stuck.  But this image hasn't left my mind all day.  And this event happening to this one Orangutan has gotten me thinking about exactly what we consume that has Palm Oil in it.

In case you've been living under a rock over the last two years, Palm Oil is in almost everything we eat, from ice cream to hot cross buns to chocolate (yep, I'm not kidding with that last one).  I have gotten into the habit of reading absolutely everything I want to eat to make sure it doesn't have this ingredient in it.

But I'm just one person, aren't I? 
And what am I going to achieve for just not buying that little bit of crap I'm skipping out on each fortnight?  
Nothing.
Zip.
Zero.

Those animals who rely on the Palm Oil in their lives are still going to be run over, burned and left for dead by the people who harvest their food just so us consumers can live a cushy life and eat well - right?

So, this is what I'm proposing we do - especially seeing Easter is coming up:

Don't buy chocolate or Hot Cross Buns or anything like this for anyone for Easter.  Now before you start screaming at the screen, I have an alternative... it's not food... it's nothing to do with eating.

Go out to your local nursery and buy a plant, potting mix and a pot and pot up the plant and give it to your family.  This is their Easter present from you to them.  
Not only does it give back to your country's economy, what you're going to do this Easter is:

* Help the enviroment in a big way.
* Make sure your garden gets a boost in birds, bees and other animals and critters too.
* You won't gain that Easter weight from eating all the Palm Oil from the chocolate and crap you'd usually eat.

I'm going to do this for my family.  Are you?  Just think of it as helping yourself as well - this will be something you can watch grow as the years pass by, you can also keep up this little thing of giving plants at Easter instead of chocolate and score yourself a pretty little garden in around 5 years time... 

Now, wouldn't you rather a lovely garden than Orangutans going extinct?  And if this doesn't convince you, here's something I found that I think will: 

Help an Orangutan This Easter 

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