Their main threat is #palmoil #deforestation in #Java #Indonesia (mirror)
Dennis, 2022 (ContentCatnip/CreativeAthena/PalmOilDetectives)
It’s even more remarkable that the rhino population in Indonesia has tripled since the 1960s.
Sunarto, 2021 (The Conversation)
A more recent black-washing attempt is Athena’s post about the “rapidly disappearing Javan Rhino” (mirror), published at 16:00 hours (GMT) on 28 May 2022. Athena claims that this post “is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license” (mirror) and she categorized it under “The Problems with Palm Oil“. However, there are several major issues with Athena’s post:
- The original post notes that “the rhino population in Indonesia has tripled since the 1960s” and starkly contrasts with Athena’s claim of “rapidly disappearing Javan Rhino” (mirror). In fact, Athena removed two paragraphs that cover the population increase of the Javan rhino from her ‘republished’ version!
- The original post also doesn’t contain any statements about palm oil, let alone that boycotting it can help the Java Rhino.
- Google Search indicates that the oil palm is currently no threat to the Javan rhino, while the langkap palm (Arenga obtusifolia) is a serious threat (Haryadi et al 2012).
- Google Earth shows the encroachment of langkap palm along the southeastern border of Ujung Kulon National Park.
langkap palm encroachment near Cegog Village (6°51’12.67″S, 105°34’2.14″E), Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia
(Source: Google Earth Pro)
Sunarto 2022, The Malay Archipelago
Athena thus blatantly lies to her followers by omitting crucial information that doesn’t suit her narrative while adding outright nonsense about how “boycotting palm oil is how you can help [the Javan rhino]” (mirror). Not even that, Athena spins false narrative, suggesting that a respected Indonesian scientist supports her shallow demand to #boycottpalmoil despite him clearly supporting sustainable palm oil. Are we well beyond “a little misleading” yet?