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=== BOS: Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation ===

=== Destruction: ===
**Willie Smits** has set up this foundation that protects Orangutans and fights deforestation.\\
This happens primarily for tropical wood for **palm-seed oil**. The latter is used as a biofuel and as food. Any product with unspecified 'vegetable-oil' in it will with 90% probability have palm-seed oil in it and therefore contributes to the genocide of Orangutans.\\
Yes genocide is a correct term here, I don't use it frivolously, because these creatures are much closer to humans emotionally and intellectually than you probably think. Read the book [[http://www.ullmann-publishing.com/thinkers|Thinkers of the Forest]], it's scary. The classic border between animal- and human kingdoms becomes unnervingly indistinct. After reading this the slaughter of these creatures becomes even more disturbing. Amazingly the animals are even used for prostitution.

=== Rescue: ===
A typical BOS rescue attempt: [[http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=bAlqx31c2h8&feature=related|BOS rescue team]]
BOS team members are subject to violence and threats to such an extent that Smits has prepared his grave in his back-yard and has prepared his young children for the worst.

=== Willie Smits should be on TED: ===
Originally Smits studied silviculture, pedology and forestry at Wageningen University in Holland. On a trip to Indonesia some 20 years ago he was confronted with a dying Orangutan at a market. He was able to keep it alive and release it back into the wild. Many others would follow. I've recommended him to TED talks.

=== Videos: ===
A selection of youtube videos:
  * [[http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=WKtcWwIEJ60|Last of the Urangutans]]
  * [[http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=y207L3EF-Tw|Taking on the Wildlife Traders]]

=== New model for the forest: ==
Form his background in Forestry Smits has developed a economically, socially and biologically profitable alternative to current practice. This alternative is based on the re-introduction of the **Sugar-palm as a food-crop**. The Masarang foundation set up by Smits aims to lift the traditional food-crop used in local tradition as a source of sugar, to compete with cane-sugar. From January 2007 a Sugar palm factory is working that uses geothermal energy for heating and rain water for cooling. see: [[http://www.masarang.org/z_new%20layout_home/home_english.html|Masarang]]

Why does it work?\\
  * All farmers get a steady income and in return sign a contract that ensures that they don't damage the forest.
  * All land that is cleared for Sugar-palm actually gets used, while the land cleared for Palmseed oil is only used for 7,5%. The rest is just cleared for wood and never farmed.