Feature story - October 10, 2007
The threat to the world's forests has never been more acute nor the risk of global warming so imminent. With about one-fifth of the world's greenhouse gas emissions being caused by forest destruction, we are highlighting how Indonesia is now at the heart of this problem.
Indonesian forests are being destroyed faster than any other
major forested country, for logging and oil palm plantations.
This destruction has obvious, immediate consequences for the
unique plants, animals and people who call the Indonesian forests
home. These forests contain between 10 and 15 percent of all known
species of plants, mammals and birds that make up the world's
treasure chest of biodiversity. Orangutans, elephants, tigers,
rhinoceros, more than 1,500 species of birds and thousands of plant
species are all part of the country's natural legacy. But many of
these unique forest-dwelling animals, including the orangutan and
the Sumatran tiger, are on the brink of extinction.
While the loss of forests is bad enough, there's a double blow
for the environment from forest clearance in Indonesia. Beneath
most of this forest are thick layers of peat that lock up millions
of tones of carbon. Once the forest is cleared the peat swamp is
drained and often also burned to make the soil more suitable for
palm oil plantations. Burning of the forest and peat results in
huge amounts of greenhouse gases making Indonesia the world's third
largest climate polluter.