Habitat sacrificed to warn the world

The man who signed the permit that allowed 1600 hectares of carbon-rich peat forest and orang-utan habitat to be razed and turned into a palm oil plantation agrees his decision was ''morally wrong''

Michael Bachelard | The Sydney Morning Herald | April 6, 2012

Abundant … up to 300 orang-utans lived in the Tripa forests. Photo: Pat Scala

 

 

 

 

 

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Palm oil case against 'Green Governor' in Indonesia heats up

Environmental activists have launched an urgent appeal calling for a "just decision" in a court case that has pitted Aceh's "Green Governor" and palm oil developers against efforts to save endangered orangutans in a Sumatran peat forest

Rhett A. Butler | mongabay.com | March 22, 2012

Sumatran orangutan in the Leuser rainforest. Photo by Rhett Butler.

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

WWF scandal (part 2): Corporate capture, commodities and carbon trading

A recent article asks whether corporations have captured big conservation? The subheading could have read, “Do bears shit in the woods?”

By Chris Lang | REDD-Monitor | 9th February 2012

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

5 shot in conflict over oil palm plantation in Sumatra

Five villagers were shot in Indonesia's Riau Province on the island of Sumatra during a clash in a land dispute over an oil palm plantation, reports The Jakarta Post and Republika

mongabay.com | February 03, 2012

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Indonesia to create the world's largest palm oil and rubber company

The Indonesian government plans to create a massive plantation firm next month when it will combine the assets of state-owned rubber and palm oil companies, reports Reuters

mongabay.com | February 04, 2012

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Emissions from palm oil biodiesel highest of major biofuels, says EU

Greenhouse gas emissions from palm oil-based biodiesel are the highest among major biofuels when the effects of deforestation and peatlands degradation are considered, according to calculations by the European Commission

mongabay.com | January 30, 2012

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Muara Tae’s last stand against big palm oil

The fate of a Dayak community deep in the interior of East Kalimantan demonstrates how Indonesia must safeguard the rights of indigenous people if it is to meet ambitious targets to reduce emissions from deforestation

Environmental Investigation Agency | January 24, 2012

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Palm oil does not meet U.S. renewable fuels standard, rules EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled on Friday that palm oil-based biofuels will not meet the renewable fuels standard due to carbon emissions associated with deforestation, reports The Hill

mongabay.com | January 27, 2012

Oil palm plantations and rainforest in Malaysia

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Industrial palm oil production expands at expense of rainforests in Peru

Intensive palm oil production is expanding at the expense of biolologically-rich lowland rainforests in the Peruvian Amazon, reports a study published in Environmental Research Letters

mongabay.com | January 10, 2012

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry amends moratorium map and excludes oil palm concession issued in breach of moratorium

In August 2011, Irwandi Yusuf, governor of Aceh, signed a permit for a palm oil concession in the Tripa Peat Swamp, apparently in breach of the moratorium on new forest concessions under the Indonesia-Norway US$1 billion REDD deal

By Chris Lang | REDD-Monitor | 14th December 2011

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Forests more profitable dead than alive

One of the biggest challenges of climate change is that countries are forced to redesign their economic model. They have to avoid doing business as usual while at the same time maintain, or even improve, its level of prosperity

By: Isyana Artharini | Climate Change Media Partnership| n December 9th, 2011

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Biofuels and biomass

Biomass is the next biofuel 'land grab' on tropical forests, warn campaigners

Energy Bulletin | Dec 8 2011

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Palm oil, pulp companies commit to zero-tolerance policy for orangutan killing

Two Indonesian plantation companies have signed an agreement to train workers not to kill or injure orangutans and other protected species

Rhett A. Butler | mongabay.com | December 07, 2011

Adult male Bornean orangutan. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Wildlife official: palm oil plantations behind decline in proboscis monkeys

The practice of palm oil plantations planting along rivers is leading to a decline in proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo, says the director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, Laurentius Ambu. Proboscis monkeys, known for their bulbous noses and remarkable agility, depend on riverine forests and mangroves for survival, but habitat destruction has pushed the species to be classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List

Jeremy Hance | mongabay.com | December 05, 2011

Young proboscis monkey. Photo courtesy of Rudi Delvaux/Danau Girang Field Center (DGFC)/Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD).

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Timber plantations are not forests

Environmentalists have always clearly defined commercial plantations and forests. The latter being natural and the former destroying indigenous biodiversity and natural resources with the aim to maximise profits. The social consequences of timber plantations have also displaced communities

by Michelle Simon | Earth Times | 05 Dec 2011

Timber plantation via Shutterstock

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Concerns standoff between Borneo forest community and Malaysian palm oil developer may turn violent

A conflict between villagers in Indonesia's East Kalimantan province and a palm oil developer could turn violent over the company's decision to press forward with clearing of forest land used by the community, warns the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and its Indonesian partner Telapak

mongabay.com | November 23, 2011

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Irwandi Yusuf, Indonesia’s “green governor”, accused of issuing illegal palm oil concession

In August 2011, Irwandi Yusuf, governor of Aceh, signed a permit for a palm oil concession in the Tripa Peat Swamp, part of the Leuser Ecosystem, that Wetlands International describes as “an area of outstanding, world-renowned biodiversity value”. The permit would allow PT Kallista Alam to convert 1,605 hectares of forest

By Chris Lang | REDD-Monitor| 24th November 2011

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Palm oil biofuel from peatlands has big climate impact, finds study

Biofuels produced from oil palm plantations established on tropical peatlands are a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions, reports a comprehensive new assessment conducted for the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)

mongabay.com | November 08, 2011

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Plantations, Mining and REDD a Threat: Dayak

Expanding oil palm plantations, mining concessions and even forest conservation projects are threatening to wipe out the traditional way of life of the Dayak tribes of Kalimantan, tribal elders say

Fidelis E. Satriastanti | Jakarta Globe | October 25, 2011

Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Analysis: Indonesia: Reforming palm oil production (analysis)

Indonesia’s palm oil sector is looking to adopt more sustainable practices in a bid to alleviate growing environmental concerns while meeting rising global demand.

Josh Franken, Oxford Business Group | The Jakarta Post | Mon, 10/03/2011

Read more... Sphere: Related Content