An investigation has found that workers on many palm oil plantations suffer shocking levels of abuse and exposure to chemicals so toxic they can cause miscarriage. But, as Amal Samaha explains, a consumer boycott of the brands that use the oil may not be the answer. Some of New Zealand’s most popular cosmetic products are … Read more
Efforts to rein in the damaging effects of palm oil production have crept along over the years. At times, things have seemed pretty hopeless. But those fighting from the inside insist it can be done, and that NZ must be part of the solution. Auckland Zoo’s Amy Robbins knows first-hand how hard it is to … Read more
In this episode of Good Ancestors, we’re talking to the young people who are leading the campaign against unsustainable palm oil and how it shows that consumer power can make a difference – but, in the face of political inertia, it isn’t as easy as it looks. When Ben Dowdle was in year 11 at … Read more
The ad might not be shown on television, but the company behind it has got the publicity it was looking for, writes Cathrine Janssson-Boyd. A Christmas advertisement for the UK supermarket chain Iceland, which tells the story of a young girl who tries to help a baby orangutan whose home has been destroyed to create … Read more
In the first story in a series celebrating the amazing things young New Zealanders do every day, James Kehoe Rowden talks to Angela Cuming about his commitment to protecting the environment, and how little can make a big difference. There are some people who see rubbish littering our streets and beaches and think to themselves … Read more