By Kate R.
Posted on Sept. 17, 2009. Listed in:
Greenpeace activists boarded the ship East Ambition in Tauranga's harbour in an attempt to prevent the ongoing importation of palm kernels from Indonesia yesterday. After 10 hours aboard the ship, the last of the activists were removed by police late last night.
The palm kernels aboard the vessel are destined for Fonterra's dairy farms, where they are used as part of a supplementary feed. Fonterra has made news headlines lately because of its alleged involvement in rainforest destruction in Indonesian and Malaysian forests.
One of the activists to storm the ship, Jo McVeagh said "Fonterra’s involvement in rainforest destruction and the massive climate impact this causes is criminal."
"This ship’s cargo has contributed to the release of up to 364,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. That’s the same as the emissions from 127,000 cars over a year. Fonterra and John Key have taken no steps to stop this climate crime which is why we’re taking action today.”
Greenpeace are concerned that the intensification of the dairy industry by Fonterra is causing devastation in rainforests. High demand for palm kernels leads to large sections of rainforest being culled so that palm plantations can be established.
According to Greenpeace, New Zealand imported 1.1million tonnes of palm kernel animal feed (one quarter of all PKE produced) in 2008, which contributed to the release of up to 20 million tonnes of greenhouse emissions in the process.
However, as reported in the Herald, Fonterra's CEO John Lea maintains that the East Ambition was not carrying a shipment for Fonterra.
He says "taking a Fonterra banner out and chaining themselves to this ship is nothing more than a dangerous publicity stunt that puts people's lives at risk and potentially damages New Zealand's reputation as a lawful country".
Lea admitted that Fonterra uses PKE (palm kernel extract) occasionally as a supplement but insisted that it was from a reputable supplier, and was truly sustainable as the kernels are a waste product from the palm oil industry.
Greenpeace maintain that Fonterra is directly linked with the vessel and say that Fonterra are deliberately trying to mislead the public.
Simon Boxer, from Greenpeace said “On the one hand, the New Zealand Government argues in international negotiations that New Zealand should get off lightly on tackling climate change due to our agricultural emissions and on the basis we’re doing everything we can to reduce those emissions.
On the other hand it is allowing the intensification of dairy farming, and Fonterra’s contribution to rainforest clearance, even when palm-based animal feed is not needed. If John Key continues to stand by and allow this kind of hypocrisy, New Zealand’s credibility in the (Copenhagen) negotiations could be damaged”.
For more on this issue, visit the Greenpeace website and check out this story in the Herald.
Check out other great articles on Celsias:
Malaysian Government Now Trashing Rainforests...in the Amazon
