So yesterday we went to the Adelaide Zoo for the Giant Pandas to have a look at us, which was pretty cool for them and us. I personally (although I did like Wang Wang and Funi), found a couple of the other visitors more fascinating - an early 40's couple, both in quick dry clothing and serious walker sandals, both wearing flip up sunnies attached to their glasses and pushing a pram that had been stripped back to the frame bedecked with camera bags and bum bags - I was very surprised to hear them speak with no trace of an accent as I honestly thought they were overseas visitors, most likely from the US of A (racist much?). Anyway that is beside the point as what has happened since then has also been quite interesting...
I have to digress to give you a bit of background to the story. When the middle child arrived she came with a shock of the most gorgeous rich auburn hair, and as an orangutan at melbourne zoo had also just given birth...well you can see where I'm headed. She has grown up hearing this story and is quite fond of orangutans as a result, viewing them as a sort of distant cousin.
In the course of our zoo visit we found out that clearing the rainforest for Palm Oil plantations in Malaysia and Borneo causes the deaths of 5 orangutans each day. The poster showed a selection of products that contain Palm Oil and we righteously declared to boycott them in our house from now on - some quite easy - we don't like KFC much anyway, some much harder - damn you tim tams and pizza shapes!
This has caused a huge uproar today as the middle one's boyfriend suggested we have KFC for tea tonight and was promptly outed as an environmental vandal and orangutan killer. This led to the great information war as wi-fi ipods and computers were googled to see who was right and who was an idiot, and in the process we discovered that:
a) palm oil is not always listed as 'palm oil' in the ingredient lists
b) that pretty much everything yummy has palm oil in it
c) so does most shampoos and a lot of other stuff
d) a conscience can be very expensive
Pop Pop Heaven
4 years ago
Oh I'm hearin' ya! Trying to be environmentally conscientious AND survive in this society of ours is very, very difficult! I find picking and choosing ('Say no to KFC .. plead ignorance to Tim Tam contents label') is the only way to go!
ReplyDeleteselective conscience, like the selective hearing thar children develop - what a great idea! ps I've taken your NY resolution as my own - I like it's lack of quantifiable success it means I can move the goal posts as necessary!
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