Stop palm oil being used in fuels!

The trees are being cut down, burned, the bulldozers are taking possession of places and all in an atmosphere of terrifying noises. The inhabitants of this rainforest, the orangutans, are trying to prevent this irreparable damage of their home as best they can, but what can they do? Apart from making a barrier with their bodies?

The mothers stand between their hanging nests and these screaming metal machines. Desperately trying to save their little ones, their way of life, the only possible one. But they are killed in the operation. Because what is the weight of an orang-utan mother compared to the weight of industrial lobbies?

In Malaysia and Indonesia, the last of the orangutans are dying! As such they are listed in Appendix 1 of CITES: that is, they are amongst the most endangered of all species on Earth. They are being extinguished one by one, because they can only live in the trees of this primary forest, the lungs of the planet, and it is disappearing before our very eyes. There is no longer room for them. It is in Asia that this is happening, but France has its share of responsibility here as well.

The agribusiness and cars

This nightmare has been going on for a long time because of the agri-food industry. Should we really add this to fuels? Because now it is created and enriched with palm oil, and it is called cynical bio-fuel. Last December on the 13^th, an action before the National Assembly, yet they have not made their move.

And a few days later, it was done! The two chambers of parliament voted against the government's advice, which, for its part, is still trying to keep afloat the idea and at all costs the project of the fuel giants, like Total. This project of a "bio" refinery is huge in France and must be abandoned! Now that the National Assembly and the Senate have agreed, what will happen next?

Our leaders must be aware that every decision made in defiance of the planet and its nonhuman inhabitants is a short-sighted decision that we will not stop fighting against. Animals are not worthless sub-beings just because we see no use for them! They have the desire to live and the rights that we must defend or at least obtain for them!

During our meeting on Monday 21^stJanuary 2019, members of the French Representation to the European Commission assured us that they would carry the vote of the French Parliament and that of the people at a European level. This is a great victory for orangutans and for biodiversity. Let's hope that all the member countries carry the same message.

To give more weight to this fight for biodiversity against palm oil biofuels, please sign the petition supported by a dozen associations of which we are a part of.

Photo: SumOfUs - GUENOLE-LE-GAL-2576 - Mobilization #NotInMyTank in Paris on 21/01/2019