Letters: It's difficult to live a truly ethical eco-friendly life

Even if one is a vegan, is that person able to ensure all their beauty products are cruelty-free?
Palm oil is putting animals lives in danger. See letterPalm oil is putting animals lives in danger. See letter
Palm oil is putting animals lives in danger. See letter

What about cruelty-free medicines? Do they take unnecessary car journeys? Buy too many plastic products? Recycle everything that can be recycled?

Yes, veganism may be ‘in vogue’ at the moment but not everyone will take that final leap and become a vegan.

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Therefore is it better for us all to take steps to consume less meat and make sure the meat we do eat is free range and humanely killed than for a small minority to go vegan? Would this be more likely to increase welfare standards?

Another issue – and one which is often neglected by the media and politicians – is palm oil.

In just about everything I buy from a supermarket, palm oil is mentioned in the ingredients.

This seemingly innocuous ingredient is actually responsible for much of the destruction of the rainforests.

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According to the Independent, in the past 16 years, an estimated 100,000 orangutans have died because of the quest for palm oil.

Why?

Because rainforests are being turned into plantations to grow the substance – and obviously the less rainforest there is, the less habitat for animals, such as orangutans, to live in.

Sustainable palm oil is a better option or if you can find food with no palm oil in the ingredients then that is better still. I believe Iceland has ditched palm oil in its own brand products so it can be done.

For more information, visit https://www.greenpeace.org/international/act/take-action-indonesia-forests-companies-dirty-palm-oil/

Surely we humans should start taking responsibility for our home and our fellow beings who live alongside us on planet Earth?

Molly Clare

via email

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