Nature Alert: Indonesia, Australia in $27m Sumatra Conservation Project

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Indonesia, Australia in $27m Sumatra Conservation Project

Personal note: A mix of crass stupidty and lies by governments.
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Indonesia, Australia in $27m Sumatra Conservation Project

Indonesia and Australia announced on Tuesday a multi-million dollarinitiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The Sumatra Forest Carbon Partnership worth 30 million Australian dollars (27 million dollars) will address immediate threats to forest on mineral soils in Jambi province.

The announcement in a statement by Australian Climate Change Penny Wong and Indonesian Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan is an expansionof an existing agreement.

"The partnership in Jambi is a demonstration activity, which is a pilot project to show how you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in practice," Indonesia-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership coordinator Neil Scotland told AFP.

"The first demonstration activity already takes place in Central Kalimantan (Borneo)," he said, adding that it was in line with theUN-REDD programme on reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation.

Rapid deforestation in Indonesia by legal and illegal loggers has made Indonesia one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gases blamed forglobal warming.

Indonesia plans to reduce its emissions by 26 percent by 2020.
AFP

Hall of Shame for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Palm Oil Industry.

Nothing can prepare one for the sight of the systematic extermination of orangutans by the government of Indonesia.

Look at the photos and news articles on these pages in the context of a statement the President made to the media on 10th December 2007.

“In the last 35 years about 50,000 orangutans are estimated to have been lost as their habitats shrank. If this continues, this majestic creature will likely face extinction by 2050,” President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at the launch of an orangutan conservation plan at the climate talks in Bali.

“The fate of the orangutan is a subject that goes to the heart of sustainable forests … To save the orangutan we have to save the forest.”

Statements like these are most welcome, but unless backed up by action, such words fall on deaf ears within the Ministry of Forestry....who are busy granting licences to cut down the very forests the President says they should protect!

When you think you are to busy to help, please could you reflect for a moment on .........

The following extract refers to environmental problems in general. I just hope you find it as thought provoking and relevant to orangutans as I have.

"This is such a shocking and unpalatable fact that most people deny it, or they just don't want to think about it. They believe as individuals, they can do little about it, so push it to the back of their minds. But I can't do that.

When something has to be done, we need to do it. It doesn't matter how big the challenge is or how hard the solution; if I know something is wrong, and I am in a position to help, I will do my best to make it right." Duncan Bannatyne, successful British businessman.