only the destruction of tropical rain forests in Indonesia and Malaysia; the dis- placement of indigenous peoples; and driving species like orangutans to the brink of extinction all in the name of pro- ducing palm oil. “Palm oil is a symptom of our broken food system,” said Schaeffer, referring to the consumption of heavily refined and processed foods that have helped spawn epidemic rates of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers in the u.S. It’s virtually impossible to avoid palm Photos: solar Mosaic/Lisa Curtis ’10 “We’re eating these packaged foods that aren’t good for us. We need to read la- bels and consider not buying products containing palm oil,” Schaeffer said. oil. The food we eat is laced with it, from breakfast cereal to baked goods to candy and baby food. It’s concentrated in non- food items like shampoo, soap, candles products lining the shelves of grocery Curtis promotes a bright idea and lipstick. Roughly 50 percent of all stores contain palm oil, according to RAN. dreds of millions of dollars. Cargill trades in the clean energy revolution-The palm oil industry is worth hun 25 percent of the world’s supply, and 85 percent of the world’s supply comes from Indonesia and Malaysia. Lisa Curtis ’10 works for a solar company, buys locally and Palm oil is rich in antioxidants, in- rides her bicycle rather than drives. However, don’t call her creases good HDls and lacks trans-fats. Its an environmentalist. proponents say its health benefits are “The traditional, narrow definition of environmentalism equal to olive oil. doesn’t work anymore,” said Curtis, who works in communi- The production of palm oil, however, cations for an alternative energy organization called Solar degrades the environment and violates Mosaic. “We have encompassing challenges, like climate human rights, Schaeffer said. change and building a clean, green energy economy, so we “We’re seeing millions of-years-old for- need holistic solutions,” not labels. ests cleared to make way for palm oil plan- Solar Mosaic raises money to build “solar power plants” on tations. This is problematic for climate the rooftops of buildings. The projects help organizations save Lisa Curtis change and causes habitat loss for key spe- electricity and reduce their carbon footprints. The startup has cies. Plus, theu.S. Department oflabor been around for just over a year but has raised more than has included palm oil cultivated in Indo- $350,000 and funded five solar projects. nesia and Malaysia on its red list of prod- “These are not donations. They are investments in technol- ucts coming from slave and/or child ogy.you put money into a solar project, and as it reduces labor.” electricity costs, you begin to earn back money on your initial Chaining yourself to a banister may investment,” said Curtis, an environmental studies-politics draw media attention to the cause in a cin- major in college. “I served as Whitman’s sustainability coor- ematic way. However, the activism of dinator during my final year. I wasn’t just an advocate for Schaeffer and her RAN colleagues is slow- clean energy; I also learned about the issues.” ly forcing the behemoth corporation to After graduation, she served in the Peace Corps in Niger change some of its business practices. and interned in the White House, writing political briefings Cargill has become a member of the for President Barackobama. At Solar Mosaic, Curtis helps Roundtable of Sustainable Palmoil, an in- bring in small investments, oftentimes from investors who ternational organization setting standards won’t personally benefit from an individual project. The Solar Mosaic and practices for sustainability in the “If you don’t own your own home or if you live in an apart- this $98,000funded solar community palm oil business. ment, you might not be able to build a solar power station on array on the roof of “I’ve been placed on this planet to do your roof. But investors still want to be part of a movement Center in oakland, esource rAsian The this work. I have an obligation to do it,” powering their country with clean energy.” Calif. The project is Schaeffer said. “The small victories make expected to save the ArC more than it all worth it.” — Edward Weinman $100,000. July 2012 23
Whitman Magazine July 2012
To see the actual publication please follow the link above