In response to “Club advocates against use of palm oil” (Elizabeth Eaton, Feb. 3):

Dear Editor,

Thank you for printing the article on our group’s work on campus to bring awareness to the issues surrounding the use of conflict palm oil. Because our group is committed to raising awareness and education about these issues, we would like to make sure your readers know that it is conflict palm oil that is the problem and which we are against, and not ALL palm oil as the title of the article suggests.

The distinction between palm oil and conflict palm oil is critical because some palm oil production involves rain forest deforestation, carbon-rich peatland clearing, human rights violations, and animal abuse. Palm oil that is grown and sold by these companies/plantations is known as ‘conflict palm oil.’ Because much palm oil is not traceable to its source, many groups are calling on companies to only purchase traceable, sustainable palm oil from their suppliers. The Palm Oil Awareness Initiative aims to raise awareness and educate people about conflict palm oil in our consumer goods, and encourage our community to become involved to help stop these practices, both locally and globally.

Thank you very much for your time and assistance in helping us spread our message.
— Kim Kelly, Stacey Tecot and Nick Alexandre

Online comments

In response to “Women’s rights: White men should neither be seen nor heard” (Eric Klump, Feb. 10):

The majority of the public doesn’t have degrees in political science or finance yet they vote for our politicians. Do you think they’re not educated to make decisions on that as well? And are women automatically 100 percent experts on all things women health related just because they are a woman? I know many women who aren’t as educated as they should be. Everyone has a right to their opinions on all issues that are being debated by our country.
— Anonymous

Men still don’t know women’s issues like a woman, which is why they should keep out of women’s uteri. Women don’t know what it’s like to be a man. Do you want a woman to tell you whether or not you can have viagra or decide what condoms are safe or not? White men still don’t know how it feels to be African American. Look what white men did to the African American race — they are still de-humanising them after hundreds of years. Heterosexual men and women don’t know what it’s like to be gay so why are they making laws to exclude these people? … Sexual, gender and racial issues need to be discussed with the people involved otherwise, you’ll be voted out of office — that is, of course, unless your district is gerrymandered or subjected to strict voter ID laws.
— Jeca (in response to Anonymous)