The rain forests in Indonesia and Malaysia are being destroyed, and the wild orangutang population is on the verge of extinction due to the demand for palm oil. A staple ingredient of the U.S. snack food industry, palm oil is used in popular brands such as Kraft, Hershey, Smuckers, and Pepsi. In fact, nearly half of all foods found on grocery store shelves contain palm oil.
The Rainforest Action Network and Free Range Studios are teaming up to take action. The goal is to collect 60,600 petition photos and send them to the Snack Food 20 — the top snack food culprits that use palm oil in their foods. The effect that palm oil is having on the environment cannot be denied. Not only is deforestation contributing to the displacement of the indigenous people, carbon monoxide is pouring into the earth’s atmosphere.
The Rainforest Action Network and Free Range Studios has also launched a 2 minute video that underscores the plight of the orangutang. The video features Lena, a young girl who has been deaf since birth. Lena goes on Skype and communicates by sign language with the orangutang Strawberry, who also knows sign language.
After a pleasant exchange, Strawberry conveys to Lena how the palm oil in the peanut butter she eats is destroying his habitat.