Palm Oil...and how to avoid it.

This needs to be shared.

My friends have been asking about palm oil, and it is high time I had a list to hand to give them!

Deforestation in Indonesia is happening on the fastest scale. Even a moratorium is breached because illegal loggers and lax tax loopholes mean that forests can still be cleared for oil palm plantations.

How does this even affect us?

Palm oil is all around us and indirectly, even unintentionally, we are contributing to the deforestation of Indonesia's lush rainforests. 

Over 60% of the world's palm oil is produced in Indonesia.

Palm oil is so hard to trace and it is labeled in such ways that we would never know it is there.

In foods, it is simply labelled as VEGETABLE OIL (植物油)...but this could be any number of oils. It is important to check for the levels of saturated fat - the higher the levels, the more likely it is palm oil.

Then there are the beauty products. Unless you can source your products carefully, expect most drugstore products to contain the following...

(These are ones that I have come across during my daily life at the drugstore  in Japan, hence the translations. For an extensive list, see below.)

At the drugstore- 

(Check shampoos, conditioners, lip balms, face creams, body creams, toothpastes, mouthwashes, laundry detergent, washing up liquid, face masks....)

ラウレス硫酸 - SODIUM LAURETH

ラウリン酸 - 　SLS Sodium Laurel Sulphate

パルミチン酸 - PALMITIC ACID 

ミリスチン酸　－Myristic Acid

ステアリン酸　－ Stearine (Palm Stearine) Stearic Acid

ラウロアンホ酢酸Na －sodium lauroamphoacetate 

 ドデシル硫酸ナトリウム - Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)

ラウリル硫酸Na - sodium lauryl

ラウレス硫酸ナトリウム - Sodium Laureth Sulfate

ステアリン酸グリセリル - Glyceryl Stearate SC 

ラウロイルサルコシンナトリウム - Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

And, I am not even going into detail about the health triggers...
The addition of a palm oil derivative indicates a chemical procedure, which means the product is not good for you in any way, despite any claims of its superpowers.....

Do you know the meaning of the colors ?

Green : Natural.

Blue : Natural + Medicine.

Red : Natural + Chemical composition.

Black : Pure Chemical.

BE AWARE OF THE PRODUCTS THAT YOU USE DAILY!

Remember, our ancestors lived without half this nonsense 50 years ago, so why should we 'need' it now?

At the supermarket - 

In foods palm oil is mostly disguised as Vegetable Oil. You need to check for saturated levels ...the more saturated fat, the more likely palm oil. Opt for saturated free fat. 

Watch out for out school favourites too...See hydrogenated vegetable oil on the label? PALM OIL. 
Like PEANUT BUTTER & NUTELLA. 

Like palm oil.

Like instant noodles? Like chocolates? Like crisps or potato chips, whatever you call them?...Like palm oil.

Anything that can last a long time on the shelf....it has palm oil...

Always read the labels too. 
This blog entry was of particular interest - turns out a joint of beef is not just that...:- 
http://freeofpalmoil.blogspot.jp/2010/05/beef-joints-for-vegetarians.html 

SHAME ON YOU SAINSBURY'S, UK

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How do you know what to avoid when you go shopping??? 

The tip - KEEP IT NATURAL. Source your products. That's all.

(Be warned - it can be found in gasoline too...)

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You can download a copy of chemicals to avoid  HERE and it fits right in your wallet! -

http://www.animal.org.au/palmoilindisguise.htm has this concise list in alphabetical order.

Here is the list for 'easy' reference.

Acetic and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472a/E472a)
Aluminium Stearate
Aluminium, calcium, sodium, magnesium salts of fatty acids (470/E470a; E470b)

Sodium Laureth Sulfate &
Cetearyl Alcohol &
Cetyl Alcohol & Glycerin &
Cetyl Acetate
(Face wash)

Ammonium laureth sulphate
Ammonium lauryl sulphate
Arachamide mea
Ascorbyl palmitate
Ascobyl palmitate (304)
Azelaic acid
Butyl stearate
Calcium lactylate 
Calcium oleyl lactylate (482/E482)
Calcium Stearate
Calcium Stearoyl lactylate (482/E482)
Capric triglyceride
Caprylic acid
Caprylic triglyceride
Caprylic/capric triglyceride
Caprylic/capric /stearic triglyceride
Caprylol glycine

Cetyl Alcohol & Glyceryl Stearate &
Glycerin & Propylene Glycol
('Herbal' shampoo)

Caprylyl glycol
Cetrimonium chloride
Ceteareth (2-100)
Cetearyl alcohol
Cetearyl ethylhexanote
Cetearyl glucoside
Cetearyl olivate
Ceteth - 20
Ceteth - 24
Cetyl acetate
Cetyl alcohol
Cetyl ethylhexanoate
Ctyl hydroxyethycellulose
Cetyl lactate
Cetyl octanoate
Cetyl palmitate
Cetyl ricinoleate
Citric and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472c/E472c)
Cocoa butter equivalent (CBE)
Cocoa butter substitue (CBS)
Decyl oleate
Diacetyltartaric and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472/E472e)
Dilinoleic acid
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
Disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate
Distilled Monoglyceride Pal
Elaeis guieensis oil
Emulsifier 422, 430-36, 470-8, 481-483, 493-495
Epoxidized palm oil (uv cured coatings)
Ethyl lauroyl arginate (243) 
Ethylene glycol monostearate
Ethylhexyl hydroxystearate
Ethylhexyl palmitate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Fatty alcohol sulphates

Glycerin (Found in soaps)

Glycerin
Glycerin or glycerol (422)
Glyceryl distearate
Glyceryl laurate
Glyceryl monostearate
Glyceryl myristate
Glyceryl oleate
Glyceryl polymethacrylate
Glyceryl stearate
Glyceryl stearate SE
Glycol distearate
Glycol stearate
Guineesis (palm)
Hexadecylic
Hexyl laurate
Hexyldecanol
Hydrogenated palm glycerides
Isopropyl isosterate
Isopropyl palmitate
Isopropyl titanium triisostearate
Isostearamide DEA
Isosterate DEA
Isotearic acid
Isostearyl alcohol
Lactic and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472b/E472b)
Lauramide DEA
Lauramide MEA
Lauramine oxide
Laureth
Lauric acid
Lauroyl sarcosine
Lauryl betaine
Lauryl lactate
Lauryl glucoside (from palm)
Lauryl pyrrolidone
Linoleic acid
Magneium myristate
Magnesium stearate
Mixed tartaric, acetic and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472/E472f)
Mono- and di- glycerides of fatty acids (471/E471)
Myristate
Myristic acid
Myristic Cetrimoium Chloride Acid
Myristoyl
Myristyl myristate
Octyl palmitate
Octyl stearate
Octyldodecyl myristate
Octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate
Oleamide MIPA
Oleic acid
Oleyl betaine
Olivem 1000
Palm fruit oil
Palm oil
Palm olein
Palm stearine
Palmate
Palmitate
Palmitic acid
Palmitamidopropyltrimonium chloride
Palmitoyl myristyl serinate
Palmitoyl oxostearamide
Palmitoyl oligopeptide
Paltetrapeptide - 3
PEG-100 stearate
PEG-15 stearyl ether
PEG-150 distearate

PEG-2 oleamine
PEG-20 stearate
PEG-4 lauratete sodium stearoyl lactylate (481/E481) Sodium laurate
PEG-40 stearate
PEG-8 distearate
PEG-8 stearate
PEG-80 sorbitan laurate
Pentaeythrityl tetraisostearate
Peptide complex
Polyethylene (40) stearate (431)
Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (475/E475)
Polyglycerol-2 oleyl ether 
Polyglyceryl-3 dilisostearate
Polyglyceryl-4 isostearate
Polyglyceryl-4 oleyl ether
Polysorbate 60 or polyoxyethylene (20 sorbitan monostearate (435/E435)
Polysorbate 60 or polyoxyethylene (20 sorbitan tristearate (436/E436)
Polysorbate 60 or polyoxyethylene (20 sorbitan monoolate (433/E433)
Polysorbate -20
Polysorbate -40
Polysorbate -80

Polysorbate -85
Potassium stearate
PPG-15 stearate ether
Polysorbate-85
Potassium stearate
PPG-15 stearate ether
Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids (477/E477)
Propylene glycol laurate 

Retinyl palmitate &
Proppylene glycol (Boots, UK product)

Propylene glycol stearate
Retynyl Palmitate 
Saponified elaeis guineensis
Sleareth
SLES
SLS
Sodium cetearyl sulphate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylaye
Sodium oleyl lactylalfate
Sodium laureth sulphate
Sodium  laureth-13 carboxylate
Sodium lauryl lactylate
Sodium lauryl
Sodium lauryl ether suphate
Sodium lauryl sulfate
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
Sodium lauryl suphate
Sodium palm kernelate
Sodium palmate
Sodium palmitate
Sodium  stearate
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Sorbitan isostearate
Sorbitan laurate
Sorbitan  monostearate (491)
Sorbitan  palmitate
Sorbitan  sesquioleate
Sorbitan trioleate
Sorbitan  tristearate

Sorbitan  tristearate (491)
Sorbitan palmitate
Sorbitan sesquioleate
Sorbitan  trioleate
Sorbitan  tristearate
Sorbitan  tristearate (492)
Stearalkonium chloride 

Glycerin & Steareth-2 & Steareth-20
(Deodorant)

Stearalkonium  hecttorite
Stearmide MEWA
Stearamideopropyl dimethylamine
Steareth-10
Steareth-2
Steareth-20
Steareth-21
Steari acid(vegetable oil)
Stearic acid or fatty acid (570)
Stearoyl sarcosine
Stearyl alcohol
Stearyl dimethicone
Stearyl heptanoate
Sucrose stearate
Sucroseesters of fatty acids (473/E473)
Taxanomic
TEA-lauryl sulphate
TEA-stearate
Tocopheryl linoleate
Triacetin
Triacetin (1518)
Tribehenin
Tricapryllin
Tristearine
Vegetable glycerin
Vegetable oil
Vegetable Mono Diglycerides
Zinc stearate

Looking for products without palm oil often feels like this -
((Rocking up at the cash register with nothing in the basket!)) But, it really is NOT that bad.

Even the smallest cut back or action on your part will make the difference - this article mentions Kellog's but imagine if we cut back on one product from more than just one big conglomerate....

"If just 1% of Kellogg's consumers were to stop buying its products, company sales could fall by US$200 million, making sustainable palm oil a comparatively cheaper option for the company."

Sustainable palm oil shift is cheaper than bad publicity impact

PALM OIL FREE OPTIONS

There are many ways to live without palm oil.

Personally, I have eliminated a lot of pure nonsense from our cupboards and taken it back 50 years...Check out my blog post for how to clean like 1959..!

We haven't been to a drugstore for years, and it feels great!

There is a lot of fun in MAKING your own body scrubs, face scrubs, air fresheners etc...ENJOY!!

Helpful blogs and information for you - 

*** http://www.palmoilinvestigations.org/products-australia

*** http://www.animal.org.au/palmoilindisguise.htm

***http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/

BLOGS

***http://nopalmoil.wordpress.com/

***http://freeofpalmoil.blogspot.jp/

***http://vivresanshuiledepalme.blogspot.jp/

GREAT NEW PROGRAME TO WATCH

(Harrison Ford visits Indonesia to learn about the levels of deforestation)

***https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brvhCnYvxQQ#t=323

There are many organisations out there doing great work to help this cause, but they cannot do it without the great support from its followers. Want to help?

http://kalaweit.org is an organisation I am involved with directly and have seen first hand their amazing efforts and struggles as they work to save not just the animals but the land in which they need to survive.

http://ran.org/ is another global network and ....

May 20th will be a GLOBAL DAY of actions run by RAN (Rainforest Action Network. you can join HERE! Please do! #inyourpalm

And, again, here is the leaflet for your wallet - download a copy HERE!!

First snow of the season!!

Just spent one amazing weekend in the north enjoying some of the loveliest snow and slopes! I love winter!!!

Winter is always such a busy time - busy keeping warm, busy trying to study all sorts of things (2012 is about working the brain is oh-so-many ways), busy trying to catch as much snow as possible, busy writing a list of things we simply have to do here in Japan, just in case we do leave sometime soon.

My poetry book is selling well for Kalaweit. It's so nice to have some support for such a great cause. Now, I just have to get my act together to finish my novel for the very same great cause. Wish me luck!

Stay warm this winter!!!

My poetry book for Kalaweit.

Here are some poems (by me) together in a nice little book just in time for Christmas!
The money from the sales of this book will go into printing but also directly into KALAWEIT.
We are aiming to purchase more land in Indonesia in order to secure the forests and the habitat of many animals.
Your support and help is always appreciated!
Thank you.

Lagging...

It has been the most dreadful week...so much sad news.

My book is lagging behind, but I am determined to finish this project. Also forgot about a small poetry anthology I was playing around with. It would be nice to get that out there now while we wait for the novel to reach completion.

The characters have developed and I even have direction for them. This is good. Now, have I got the will to push off the RSi and type ten to the dozen?! Watch this space!

how much would you pay for a little novel for charity? Ideas appreciated!

Pushing forward ad being positive, as only one can.

Hope the week was better where you are :-)

LS

Land for Kalaweit / Nano

Ian is back today! So happy!

He had to go to UK for family matters, but I have just checked and his flight has landed. Thankfully BA didn't fail us.

Nano is well under-way - Day 12. I am behind, but progressively so, so I am not worried. Currently at 14,000 words with 3 strong characters, good story lines and a mission as well. I have decided to make this book available for sale with all the proceeds to go to Kalaweit.

You see, the story is about three friends, but, without telling you too much at this early stage, one is fighting for the rainforests of Indonesia.

Right now, Kalaweit is trying to secure more land in Sumatra in order to protect the forests. If we can raise the money, we can buy the land. If the land is protected, the animals have a home.

It's an ultimate dream to be able to do something like this, so, I must focus, I must write, and I must figure out how to get this money!

Any fundraising ideas also welcome!!!

A break from blogging?

Today is June 13th.

There is a busy month ahead of things such as dogs, friends - leaving &and visiting, another trip up north, various writing projects and even, (resumed today and so far feeling good about it!) studying Japanese!

I may be slow on the blogging front, although, it seems when I say things like that, or that it will be a short post, it is quite the opposite. We shall see.

Recent blogs have helped me get some sort of routine and good practice for my own writing projects. I am still in great danger of starting so many, what we can call 'good ideas; and then letting them lie on the waste side.

This shall not be happening any more.  I have just (with the help of my dearest and bestest friend) finished my novella, which was 16 months in the making, simply because I didn't have the energy to just re-read a basic chapter. The editing and the review is the hardest part, but if you add that to the completion of a task, then we are looking at rather challenging missions!

So, I am pleased to say that things are rolling, but I should probably turn my attention back to the study, the writing.

I still need to finish the kalaweit blog too, and hopefully add some more poems to the 'Leonora Sophie' blog, so, actually, I shall not be going very far! besides, I think I am secretly very hooked to this blog page, and I have a feeling I will be updating the latest frog and dog pics very soon!!

Lee
^_^

Just for the record...

POEMS  & TRAVEL BLOG

Typhoon

Kasukabe has so many frogs that it is something rather special taking Elbi for his evening walk. You literally have to side step them all as they hop from lake to rice field.

It has been a soggy, damp week. It hasn't helped the mood. It is important to recover and re-align from all the activities of late, but not easy when the weather also knocks it out of you.

Last Sunday, there was a rally for the animals in Fukushima, to make the government aware of what they had (not) done. Over 600 people attended in full force. One JEARS member, Katrina, was interviewed there -

And, it appears, some of the petitions worked and this week, some residents were allowed into their homes. But, a quick hour was all they had to collect as many possession they would need for a length of time they would not know.

Here is a story I found. It was a very real explanation of what it was like and it makes it all too real how horrible life still is, 2 months on, for so many people.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105110150.html

So, while some residents are cramming possessions, urgent medication and clothes into their small plastic bags, I heard that there is a possibility of the zone being extended. Apparently, there is more leakage of radioactive waste into the water and there was mention of a potential meltdown of number 1 reactor if they try and flood it.

The news is so exhausting each day. I am assured by the fact that there are so many amazing people out there doing their bit to help and make things better. They give me the strength I need too.

I am making more plans to return to the north, but this takes time and money. I will probably go in a few weeks time. In the meantime, there is still plenty to be done from my little white desk. I am also trying to get the local stores to put up a little flyer saying that people can send donations directly to Sendai or, they can call me and I will collect from them locally.

Can you believe one store actually refused me? They are a supermarket in a shopping centre, so they said I should speak with the centre's security first. What I didn't get was that they had a notice board right there. all I needed was a pin!

So much for me thinking that the mentality for volunteering and helping had changed. Well, it was just one lady, and she shall not deter me in my efforts.

On a similar note. I had a meeting this week (tired Monday after work and in Tokyo - Ugh) for Kalaweit (Gibbon rescue, Indonesia). I was trying to petition for Kalaweit, the Japan branch as it were, (https://www.facebook.com/KalaweitInJapan) to get a stall at this year's Fuji Rock festival. Basically, they have an NPO village and having a stand there would be perfect for promotion for Kalaweit in this country. Again, I wanted to share with people about the rainforests of Indonesia and the possibility of volunteering in Borneo.

After much faffing about and last minute requests for translations that they could have asked for months ago when I applied, I managed to complete every single thing they asked for, despite their demands. but, did we get through? NO!

I was told it was because there were too many applicants.Mmm. It is a shame though, because the people at the festival would be the type to want to go learn about the rainforests and the gibbons....

On the same note, it makes me want to return to see the animals of the forest. It is a life I love! We watched 'Gorillas in the mist' today, and as sad as it is at the end, there is nothing that quite beats the magic of these awesome creatures, all of them.

In the meantime, I am still updating my Indo blog from my last visit... http://leonoraonthemove.blogspot.com/

There has been quite a bit of soul deflating news this week and general depressing media stories, especially in Europe. Tonight, I just read about a poor woman getting beheaded in a supermarket in Tenerife?!?!?! What kind of world do we live in???

So, when things get you down, you have to remember that there is so much good still in the world.

Here is a story of yet another rescue from Fukushima. God bless these little creatures and all the people working to save them.