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A Greenpeace activist dressed as a logger chainsawed a 20-meter wooden wall symbolizing the Indonesian forests for a "happening art" symbolically depicting the alarming rate of Indonesian forest destruction during Greenpeace Indonesia's launching of the Forest Defenders campaign on March 16; 2007 at Jakarta's Independence Proclamation Monument.
Enlarge ImageIndonesia destroys about 51 square kilometers of forests every day, equivalent to 300 football fields every hour -- a figure, which should earn the country a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's fastest destroyer of forests.The group based this calculation on data from the UN Food & Agriculture Organization's (FAO) recent 'State of the World's Forests 2007' report. According to the report, ten countries account for 80 percent of the world's primary forests, of which Indonesia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Brazil saw the highest losses between 2000 and 2005.
"The exceptional and mind-boggling rate of forest destruction in Indonesia qualifies it to enter the Guinness book of World Records and join Brazil, which holds the current record for largest forest areas destroyed worldwide," said Hapsoro, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest Campaigner.
"These new figures demonstrate a lack of political will and power by the Indonesian government a to stop Indonesia's runaway deforestation rates. A series of natural disasters in recent years, floods, forest fires, landslides, droughts, massive erosion are all linked to the unprecedented destruction of our forests. Forest fires from concessions and plantations have already made Indonesia the world's third biggest contributor of greenhouse gases," Mr Hapsoro said. To make its point, Greenpeace activists dressed as loggers, chain-sawed a 20-meter wooden wall symbolizing the Indonesian forests in ademonstration at the Proclamation Monument, Central Jakarta on Friday. Greenpeace supporters, celebrities, politicians and musicians participated in the activity.
According to the FAO, Indonesia's deforestation rate from 2000-2005 reached 1.8 million hectares/year. This rate is lower than the official rate declared by the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, of 2.8 million hectares/year. Indonesia is second only to Brazil which, with 3.1 million hectares lost per year, the FAO puts at the top of the list for the largest deforestation area., However, since the Indonesia's total forest area is much smaller than Brazil's, the deforestation rate is higher. Indonesia's deforestation rate is 2% every year, compared to Brazil's 0.6%
"We need a moratorium on commercial logging operations nationwide to protect what is left of this fast diminishing resource. Public pressure is needed to force the government to recognize the enormity of this problem and to take action immediately. We are therefore calling on the Indonesian people to join us as Forest Defenders(1) and demand a stop to all large scale and destructive logging activities responsible for wiping out our forests at such a fastrate," Mr Hapsoro said.
"The exceptional and mind-boggling rate of forest destruction in Indonesia qualifies it to enter the Guinness book of World Records and join Brazil, which holds the current record for largest forest areas destroyed worldwide," said Hapsoro, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest Campaigner.
"These new figures demonstrate a lack of political will and power by the Indonesian government a to stop Indonesia's runaway deforestation rates. A series of natural disasters in recent years, floods, forest fires, landslides, droughts, massive erosion are all linked to the unprecedented destruction of our forests. Forest fires from concessions and plantations have already made Indonesia the world's third biggest contributor of greenhouse gases," Mr Hapsoro said. To make its point, Greenpeace activists dressed as loggers, chain-sawed a 20-meter wooden wall symbolizing the Indonesian forests in ademonstration at the Proclamation Monument, Central Jakarta on Friday. Greenpeace supporters, celebrities, politicians and musicians participated in the activity.
According to the FAO, Indonesia's deforestation rate from 2000-2005 reached 1.8 million hectares/year. This rate is lower than the official rate declared by the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, of 2.8 million hectares/year. Indonesia is second only to Brazil which, with 3.1 million hectares lost per year, the FAO puts at the top of the list for the largest deforestation area., However, since the Indonesia's total forest area is much smaller than Brazil's, the deforestation rate is higher. Indonesia's deforestation rate is 2% every year, compared to Brazil's 0.6%
"We need a moratorium on commercial logging operations nationwide to protect what is left of this fast diminishing resource. Public pressure is needed to force the government to recognize the enormity of this problem and to take action immediately. We are therefore calling on the Indonesian people to join us as Forest Defenders(1) and demand a stop to all large scale and destructive logging activities responsible for wiping out our forests at such a fastrate," Mr Hapsoro said.
"The exceptional and mind-boggling rate of forest destruction in Indonesia qualifies it to enter the Guinness book of World Records and join Brazil, which holds the current record for largest forest areas destroyed worldwide."
Hapsoro
Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest Campaigner
"This record is something the people of Indonesia should not be proud of, but it doesn't have to be this way. We take pride in many things this country has to offer. It is after all the world's largest archipelagic state with more than 18,000 islands. It supports the world's second highest level of biodiversity, and is a critical carbon sink for the planet. It is crucial now that the people of Indonesia take action to pressure our government to stop this destruction," he added.
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