Even when you care and want to do something, it’s not always easy to know what you can do and how.
Ways To


Make Healthier
Climate change threatens Orangutans by making forests more susceptible to fires during longer dry seasons and substantially diminishing fruits and forest vegetation due to these changing weather patterns. Globally, our eating habits are contributing to greenhouse gas, depleted and poisoned topsoil, and water polution. Mounting evidence shows that eating a low-processed, plant-based diet is good for human health and protecting Earth’s vital ecosystems around the world.
Check out the lists below and commit to making at least one change this week —some is better than none:

Eat More Of These:
- fruits
- vegetables
- legumes (beans, lentils and peas)
- sustainable seafood or get the App
- wholegrains

Eat Less/None of These:
- palm oil
- meat
- sugar
- over-fished fish
Live

- Recycle, reuse, reduce, rot (compost), and refuse
- Conserve water
- Use sustainable, clean energy
- Bike and walk more, drive less
- Turn off lights and unplug devices when not in use
- Use LED light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs
- Eliminate the use of products containing toxins
- Plant a garden, eat local, in-season, and organic
- Reduce paper product use and waste (legal and illegal clear cutting to produce pulp for paper products is a significant cause of rainforest destruction)
- Avoid purchasing exotic hardwoods (Asian Striped Ebony and Sonokeling Rosewood)
- Plant and preserve trees
- Wash clothes in cold water
- Avoid over-packaged products, buy in bulk and bring your reusable bags
- Lower the thermostat in colder months and use less air conditioning during warmer months
- See News and Resources section for more ideas and tools
Travel
Eco tourism can promote the preservation of Orangutans, other species and critical forest habitat by making it more economically advantageous for locals compared to logging, mining or other forms of deforestation and degradation.
However, irresponsible eco-tourism can work against Orangutans in ways—from stressing them in their habitat, objectifying them to spreading disease.

- Never take a selfie or agree to having your picture taken with a wild or captive animal.
- Don’t spend money at businesses that exploit Orangutans and other animals—dressing them in clothes, holding boxing matches, having them perform tricks, etc.
- Never hold an Orangutan infant no matter how “reputable” the organization or how much you are encouraged to do it. You are adding to the trauma they have experienced by being taken away from their mother and likely seeing her killed.
- Don’t trash or degrade their forest habitat—leave nothing behind.
- Don’t feed wild or captive Orangutans human food even if they appear to want it.
- If you are close enough to feed an Orangutan, back up because you are too close and can spread disease.
- If you are around Orangutans always wear a mask to avoid the spread of disease.
- Do not purchase or visit markets selling live animals. It is illegal to have an Orangutan as a pet.
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