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According to the World Bank, Indonesia is the planet’s third largest carbon dioxide emitter. But the problem in Indonesia differs from ours here in the United States. Rather than pollutants from cars or the energy and industrial sectors, in Indonesia, the primary culprit is deforestation. More than 64 million acres of Indonesia’s forests have been cut down or burned over the past two decades in order to make room for industrial growth.
Fortunately, Greenpeace has been working hard on a campaign to stop deforestation in places like Indonesia. By pressuring key corporations and governments, Greenpeace is helping to save many forests and slow climate change. One of the voices behind the Greenpeace campaign is Rolf Skar, a senior deforestation campaigner with the organization. Sea Change Radio host Alex Wise sits down with Skar this week as they discuss deforestation in Indonesia, the UN Climate Change Conference that kicks off in Cancun, Mexico next week, and how we can all make a difference with day-to-day choices as consumers.
Check out Greenpeace’s recent report on Indonesian deforestation here – an important piece that calls out Indonesian industry for its plans for an expansion that flies in the face of the Indonesian President’s plan to address deforestation and climate change. The report also calls out the tremendous influence industry has over parts of the government, including the Ministry of Forestry. And here’s Greenpeace’s blog which further explains the report.