Indonesia gets new world record: fastest forest logger
This morning, the streets of Jakarta were buzzing with the sound of chainsaws. It wasn't a loggers' convention causing all the racket but protesters sawing through a huge wooden wall depicting Indonesia's rainforests. They were commiserating a new world record as opposed to celebrating it, and with good reason because Indonesia stands to gain the dubious title of the World's Fastest Forest Destroyer.
We've been pointing out for a long time that the Paradise Forests of South East Asia are disappearing faster than anywhere else on Earth and, according to a new UN report on the world's forests, Indonesia is the juggernaut behind this massive rate of deforestation. Brazil clears more forest each year but, because Indonesia has a smaller area of forest, it's disappearing much more quickly - two per cent is lost each year compared to Brazil's 0.6 per cent.
With the help of some politicians, musicians and celebrities, our South East Asian office were making the point that this was not something the country should be proud of. This was more than just a symbolic gesture though as they will be making an official submission to the Guinness Book of World Records. Not the kind of thing that would have appeared on Record Breakers, I'll bet.
Comments
Great Blog Jamie. It saddens me that people would try to put a positive spin on the destruction of the rainforest and make it sound like a positive thing. I own Pure Skin Care and when I found out that an ingredient in some of our products (palm oil) is fuelling the destruction of rainforest in South East Asia I felt awful and immediately contacted all our suppliers to see whether they knew about the problem and what they intended to do. I’m pleased to say that most of them were equally upset and already moving away from palm oil. Some people do care; I just wish there were more of us.
Posted by: Debbie | March 23, 2007 7:08 PM
Palm oil is something we're beginning to work on, more from the biofuels angle than supermarket products, but it's all connected. No point trashing the rainforests for 'green' fuels!
Have you seen the Safe Palm Oil website?
Posted by: Jamie | March 27, 2007 2:52 PM
I think you need to check out this article http://www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=304&Itemid=57
Posted by: Molly | March 28, 2007 5:26 AM
Some rather curious logic there, not to mention flawed. On the one hand, FOE campaigns on local biodiversity issues and we do plenty of work in the UK on North Sea marine reserves so it's hardly a case of double standards.
On the other, when you consider the impact that the expanding palm plantations are having on climate change through deforestation, it ceases to be a local issue and becomes a global one.
Mind you, as the Palm Oil Truth Foundation is being sponsored by the Malaysian and Indonesian governments to throw a good light on the industry, it's hardly going to be unbiased.
Posted by: Jamie | March 28, 2007 2:32 PM
Are you sure Palm Oil Truth Foundation is getting funding from the Malaysian and Indonesian government???? If they are, so what??? Don't talk about the environment when develop country such as the US is the worst environmental criminal that has ever existed. Palm oil industry is generating income for the country and its people..can anyone here replace lost income and development generated from palm oil industry if they slow down or reduce that industry????Easy for you guys to talk big bout the environment when your country is already develop...try coming from an undeveloped or developing country...Good luck changing this world...start with the US 1st then talk about other countries.
Posted by: andrew | April 25, 2007 11:19 AM