Earth Equity News

Indonesia Ending Ban on Clearing Peatland Forests for Palm Oil. By Aloysius Bhui, Reuters, February 16, 2009."Indonesia will open up peatland forests for plantation crops such as palm oil after freezing new permits for more than a year, an agriculture ministry official said on Monday, in a move that has alarmed green groups... Indonesia's remaining peatland forests are one of the world's largest stores of carbon, holding around 37.8 billion metric tons, according to Greenpeace. A report sponsored by the World Bank and Britain's Department for International Development says up to 84 percent of Indonesia's carbon emissions come from deforestation, forest fires and peatland degradation... Indonesia's remaining peatland forests are one of the world's largest stores of carbon, holding around 37.8 billion metric tons, according to Greenpeace. A report sponsored by the World Bank and Britain's Department for International Development says up to 84 percent of Indonesia's carbon emissions come from deforestation, forest fires and peatland degradation."