https://www.forbes.com/sites/davekeating/2019/03/14/eu-labels-biofuel-from-palm-oil-as-unsustainable-bans-subsidies/#a035a729c9da
I would like people's take on this. One one hand, Palm Oil has been the cause of huge amounts of deforestration in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia as well as destroyed habitats.
As someone who personally knows people who are within the industry, let me just say that they do not see it this way. When I asked them, they replied that while they find the destruction of animal habitat regrettable, Palm Oil trees (so they say) are much more efficient per area at turning CO2 into Oxygen than natural forests and that Palm Oil production is the livelihood of millions of people and that the destruction of the industry would cause poverty at a massive scale and that the ensuing poverty would do far more damage to the environment (as people without food tend to do desperate things) such as illegally log and poach and slash and burn forests to turn into arable land. And even if that wasn't the case, to sustain their economies would these third worlds instead push for more industrialization?
As a person who strongly believes in Climate Change and the need to protect the environment for future generations, I believe the the current methods employed by the Palm Oil industry in expanding their production is the main reason for the damage to the environment and perhaps stronger regulations would help curb the damage it is causing but the direction from environmental groups seems to be the destruction of the industry (due to pressure to altogether stop its use and not regulate its growth, not its regulation). IF such were the case, the economic outfall would be disastrous for countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
I wanna know what people think on the matter.