Thursday, December 6, 2012

My home has become your deckchair.


This mother clings on to her baby as she surveys the destruction of her forest home, cleared for palm oil plantations and timber for export.


What's it like to enjoy the sunshine while you sit in your Kwila chair?
Do you ever see our faces reflected in your glass of chardonnay?
All the hungry and the homeless who are no longer here
in the freedom of our homeland.
Do you even care?

Have you ever seen my homeland of forest reaching clear?
Have you ever thought my home has now become your chair?
Your comforts steal my shelter
Your ignorance takes my life.
If you steal our wilderness we will not survive.
My child is going hungry, I cannot provide.
Will you look into our faces?
We are terrified
by the chainsaws and the bulldozers that destroy our life
while you enjoy reclining on your deck of Balau tree
Just chew another mouthful of palm oil-laden sweet
You're chewing up my homeland
we lie here in defeat.
Your hunger for your comforts creates such deep turmoil
The destruction of my homeland
all for your palm oil.

Have you ever seen my homeland of sunshine dappled vines?
How the trees soar way above and brush against blue skies?
If you could see my homeland you would wonder why
You chainsaw out its beating lungs
and you destroy our lives
Do you hate your concrete life so much you cannot abide
the beauty of my homeland is better than where you live?
Must my homeland be erased so you can believe and live your lie?
All the hungry and the homeless
who no longer are here
Have you ever thought my home has now become your chair?







Deforestation continues to cause the decimation of habitat for Orang utan throughout Indonesia. Now found only in remaining wilderness in Borneo and Sumatra, these primates are fast being pushed to extinction as world demand for palm oil soars. Huge areas of jungle are cleared for the expanding plantations. Timber of Kwila and Balau is logged, shipped to China where it is turned into cheap outdoor furniture for primarily Australian and New Zealand recreational use- outdoor tables and chairs, and decking. Timber products carrying a 'Sustainable sourced' certificate is of dubious origin. Much illegally logged timber is fraudulently re-certified as sustainably sourced and then channelled into legal markets.
Any purchase of Kwila or Balau timber products, or consuming foodstuffs containing palm oil fuels the destruction of rainforests and hastens the extinction of orang utans.

Check all product ingredients.  Buy timber from sustainable plantation forests, not of tropical origin.
Consuming these products is consuming their homelands.
Petition to sign-
The petition site.com help-stop-the-use-of-palm-oil/
and
The petition site takeaction
Pictures from-
slaughtering-primates-for-pest-control-at-palm-oil-plantation


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3 comments:

Jude said...

Jim, thoughtful and true, eh?,Along with fossa, and all the other inhabitants of the forests, Orang utan are 'expendable'. Collateral damage in the never ending consumption by people in the first world. But let us also remember, it is not just the 'consumers' it is the mega-rich corporations who, with ice-for-hearts do this damage - boycott palm oil, buy sustainable only plantation timber - but also...lobby governments to NOT be involved in the bastardry via labelling laws, or the Superannuation funds vis shares held. Every voice raised against this is an important voice. May we all be heard!

Chris Jennings said...

Hi Jim:
Now that I've done a better job of organizing Google+ I have an opportunity to see the people who post who I want to see.

You have such a touch for writing this sort of topic. Very emotional.

Like this very much.
--
Chris

joy said...

Awakening post!