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