Myths & Facts

Palm Oil And Global Climate: Are They Really Related?

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JAKARTA – The global climate change is caused by the expansion of oil palm plantations. Such is a statement made by certain groups of people. But is it factual or just fictional or mythical? Find out the answer to the question in the following facts.

The global climate change has become a serious environmental problem which endangers the global community. The global climate change is caused by the global warming (IPCC, 1991; Soemarwoto, 1992; IEA, 2014) and it has nothing to do with the expansion of oil palm plantations across the globe.

The greater the amount of solar energy trapped in the atmosphere will result in increasingly serious climate change  (photo-3) as indicated by the following factors:

  1. Evaporation rises;
  2. Warming/increase;
  3. Sea water temperature/oceans;
  4. Change of plants and animals condition;
  5. Snow and ice melt.

Combination of the changes of the factors will affect the global climate change that will then result in an increase of rainfalls, storms, floods, drought, fires, and climate anomalies. Such impacts of the climate change are experienced by all countries in the world.

It is clear, therefore, that the current global climate change is resulted from global warming, and not because of the oil palm plantations. Blaming the oil palm plantations as the cause of global climate change will not solve the problem, and people who play the blame game are lying to the international community because they defy the real facts of climate change and oil palm plantations. (*)

References

  • [IPCC] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007. The Physical Science Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ar4-wg1-frontmatter-1.pdf
  • Soemarwoto O. 1992. Indonesia dalam Kamcah Isu Lingkungan Global (Indonesia in the arena of environmental issues), Jakarta (ID): PT. Gramedia Pustaka Utama. (*)

Source: Mitos & Fakta Kelapa Sawit –4th Edition (Mitos 6-02)

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