Just how Big is Malaysia’s Palm Oil Industry?

Just how Big is Malaysia’s Palm Oil Industry?

With all the press surrounding palm oil in Malaysia – its boon to the national economy, its increasing demand worldwide, its razing and takeover of tropical forest and its reliance on migrant labor – it can be difficult to get a clear picture of the industry.  The facts are all…

US-ASEAN Summit 2015: Will Obama call Malaysia to Task on Environment?

US-ASEAN Summit 2015: Will Obama call Malaysia to Task on Environment?

– Originally published on International Policy Digest by Clean Malaysia’s Editor in Chief Brandon Taylor – President Barack Obama has just packed his bags and embarked on a trip to Kuala Lumpur.  The reason for the trip is the third US-ASEAN Summit, and the meeting will have important implications for the environment…

Borneo’s Massive Ecological Experiment

Borneo’s Massive Ecological Experiment

One of the largest ecological experiments in recorded history is being conducted in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.  It has to do with three hot-button issues – palm oil, deforestation, and biodiversity – and it hopes to find a way to point them all in the direction of sustainability. Launched in 2010,…

Deforestation in Malayisa Releases Fast-Acting Malaria Parasite

Deforestation in Malayisa Releases Fast-Acting Malaria Parasite

A dangerous and potentially deadly monkey-borne parasite has reared its head in Malaysia.  Once rarely seen in humans, it is now responsible for more than two-thirds of hospitalized malaria patients in Malaysian Borneo.  The cause?  Deforestation in Malaysia. Plasmodium knowlesi is a Southeast Asian malaria parasite that, in a healthy…

Indonesia and Malaysia to set new Green Standards for Palm Oil

Indonesia and Malaysia to set new Green Standards for Palm Oil

More than a month after they started burning, Indonesian forest fires that caused a crippling haze epidemic are still raging strong.  The record-breaking burn is due largely to palm oil practices that dry out, expose and otherwise make the peatland beneath them extremely susceptible to fires.  As a result of…

Drones Fight Deforestation in Malaysia

Drones Fight Deforestation in Malaysia

Flying camera drones are being used to monitor palm oil plantation activity, fighting illegal land clearing and deforestation in Malaysia. In order to identify protected areas, single out especially rich environments and effectively keep tabs on what’s going on in the jungle, Malaysia’s forests must be surveyed from above. Drones…

Rejection by Norwegian Investment Firm calls Malaysian Palm Oil into Question

Rejection by Norwegian Investment Firm calls Malaysian Palm Oil into Question

The largest sovereign wealth fund in the world has just excluded two Malaysian conglomerates from its investment portfolio due to risks of “severe environmental damage.” Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) dropped the two companies, construction firm IJM Corporation Berhad and multi-industry conglomerate Genting Berhad, on August 18 over their…

Palm Oil Destruction Grows along with Malaysian Industry

Palm Oil Destruction Grows along with Malaysian Industry

Consistent increases in Malaysian palm oil production recently caused national stockpiles to reach their highest peak since last November. Expanding rapidly, the industry is vital to the Malaysian economy and accounts for 5-6% of the country’s GDP. The growth of Malaysian palm oil, however, is coupled with growing destruction. The…