💚 Reducing the Deforestation Impact of Palm Oil 🌴
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Stay impactful,
Happy Tuesday 👋
Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:
- New tool launched to reduce deforestation associated with palm oil 🌴
- Mexico announces 20 new environmental protected areas 🏞️
- Celebrate Black History Month 🖤
- And more… 💚
Did you know that palm oil plantations currently cover more than 27 million hectares of the Earth’s surface?
And that forests and human settlements have been destroyed and replaced by palm oil plantations (aka ‘green deserts’), containing virtually no biodiversity, an area the size of New Zealand?
Ok, I have to admit that this is not good news…
But what’s good news is that new tools are being developed to help reduce that deforestation impact!
🌴 How a New Web Tool Can Reduce the Deforestation Impact of Palm Oil
1️⃣ The big picture: Web-based monitoring platform Palmoil.io has launched a new online tool to help companies check their compliance with deforestation regulations for palm oil. The tool, called PlotCheck, allows companies to upload plot boundaries without having to store it in the cloud, therefore, eliminating concerns over privacy and data security. The tool then analyzes the plot for deforestation based on satellite data. The tool also displays data on the historical deforestation of the area and surrounding palm oil processing mills. This tool is designed to increase transparency in the palm oil industry and reduce the associated deforestation.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The large-scale conversion of tropical forests to palm oil plantations has a devastating impact on local fauna and flora. Palm oil production has also been associated with corruption, land-grabbing, and forced evictions of indigenous communities. Palm oil plantations are currently thought to account for 10% of all global cropland, with 3 billion people in 150 countries using products containing palm oil. By holding companies accountable for their actions, PlotCheck can dramatically reduce the negative impacts associated with palm oil production.
3️⃣ What’s next: To date, PlotCheck spans 13 countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia, where palm oil plantations are a major driver of deforestation. However, plans are already in place to include more countries in the coming months. The hope is that this tool will also reduce the prevalence of illegally sourced palm oil and better protect our natural world.
Related: You can already help to protect our tropical forests and natural lands by supporting one of the 9 Best Charities for Land Conservation.
📢 More Good News…
🤝 Technology company merges with non-profit to ramp up AI use in conservation:
- Conservation technology company Conservation X Labs has announced a merger with non-profit Wild Me to prevent the 6th mass extinction through the use of artificial intelligence.
- This merger comes at a time when AI’s role in biodiversity monitoring and conservation is becoming more popular.
- Conservation X Labs and Wild Me hope to combine their resources to empower conservationists and boost conservation efforts around the world.
♻️ Serbia secures $2.2 billion investment from China for renewable energy facilities:
- China has recently agreed to invest $2.18 billion in Serbia to build wind and solar power plants, as well as a hydrogen production facility.
- This is the biggest investment in renewable energy in the Balkan country to date.
- This investment is the result of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the ministry and China’s Shanghai Fengling Renewable Co Ltd and Serbia Zijin Copper, which was signed on January 19.
🏞️ Mexico announces 20 new environmental protected areas:
- Mexico recently announced 20 new protected areas covering 2.3 million hectares of land across the country.
- The protected areas cover national parks, sanctuaries, and other protection areas located in 12 states, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California.
- This announcement comes despite constant funding cuts since 2016 to the nation’s environmental agencies.
🖤 Event of the Month: Black History Month
👉 Did you know that next month (February) is Black History Month? This event was founded in 1976 to celebrate black history and promote the achievements of black communities.
1️⃣ The big picture: Black History Month was originally set up as Negro history week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson after he participated in a national celebration of the 15th anniversary of emancipation. He then decided to form an organization to promote the scientific study of black history, which became the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). It’s thought that Woodson chose February to encompass the births of two Americans who played an important role in shaping black history; Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Carter passed away in 1950 but his legacy continued to build. In the late 1960s, young black college students began campaigning for a longer celebration of black lives, eventually becoming Black History Month in 1976.
2️⃣ Why is this important: By 1860, 4 million of the 4.4 million African Americans were held as slaves. Despite the nationwide abolishment of slavery in 1865, Black Americans still face discrimination, lower pay, and decreased access to education compared to white Americans. Black History Month is a time to celebrate racial pride, educate yourself on black history, and fight for racial equality in all aspects of life.
3️⃣ How can you get involved: One of the best ways you can get involved in Black History Month is to raise awareness of the issues and discrimination still facing Black communities today. You can do this by setting up an awareness event or by promoting equality through social media.
You can also check out the organizations below that are fighting for racial equality and promoting the achievements of the Black community:
- 9 Best Charities for This Year’s Black History Month
- 9 Best Charities That Support the Black Lives Matter Movement
- 9 Best Charities for African American Youth
📜 This Week in History
🪖 January 30, 1667: The Truce of Andrusovo ended the 13-year war between Russia and Poland over the territories of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus.
🚀 January 31, 1966: The Soviets launched Luna 9. This was the very first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the moon.
⚾ January 31, 1919: Jackie Robinson was born in Georgia. He later became the first African American to play professional baseball, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1956.
💭 Quote of the Day
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
— Jackie Robinson, American Baseball player
Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society together!
Stay impactful 💚
