199. Mighty Earth Uncovers the RV Industry's Destructive Secret with Amanda Hurowitz

199. Mighty Earth Uncovers the RV Industry's Destructive Secret with Amanda Hurowitz

When most people think about recreational vehicles– you know, RVs, campers, they picture freedom — the open road, family vacations, maybe even a way of life.

What probably doesn’t come to mind is deforestation in Borneo.

Yet half of all tropical plywood harvested globally ends up in RVs.

In episode 199 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we dig into how the RV industry in the United States has become a major driver of rainforest destruction, threatening orangutan habitat, draining peatlands, and displacing Indigenous Dayak communities.

Our guest, Amanda Hurowitz, Senior Director at Mighty Earth, walks us through her team’s investigation into how one specific type of plywood from Indonesia makes its way into American RVs and why it has been an industry secret for so long.

Amanda Hurowitz leads Mighty Earth’s Forest Commodities team, overseeing campaigns to protect forests and communities across Asia and Africa. She’s helped drive transformative shifts in industries from cocoa to palm oil, and today she’s working to bring the same pressure and solutions to the RV industry.

Mighty Earth is a global advocacy organization working to defend a living planet and secure a climate where life can flourish. You can learn more about their work at mightyearth.org

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Mighty Earth Investigation

Website: https://stories.mightyearth.org/mayawana-persada/

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/world/asia/indonesia-borneo-deforestation-rv.html

Amanda Email: amanda@mightyearth.org

Avsnitt(285)

177. Making Textiles from Post-Consumer Recycled Materials with Wylie Robinson

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60 Outdoor Industry Companies Have Come Together Under a New Coalition, Brands for Public Lands - Public Lands News (April 7 - 11)

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Public Land Sales Back on the Table? - Public Lands News (March 31 - April 4)

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175. Why Made in the USA Matters with Mallory Ottariano

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Since the time of this interview, Youer, and other small businesses like them, have gone under major changes due to rising costsSome of these changes for Youer include:1. They stopped making things in...

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174. Carbon Neutral to Change Climate with Austin Whitman

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If you remember, in one of our earliest episodes, episode 23, I spoke with Austin Whitman, to unpack the meaning behind carbon-neutral certifications and what they really mean for consumers, companies...

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173. Public Lands Under Attack: What’s Happening and What You Can Do

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172. 37.5 Technology’s Science of Sustainable Textiles with Blair Kanis

172. 37.5 Technology’s Science of Sustainable Textiles with Blair Kanis

Sustainability in the outdoor industry has come a long way, but the challenges of waste, microplastic pollution, and textile biodegradability remain an issue many brands struggle to address. That’s wh...

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