MAYBE, JUST MAYBE THE ORANGUTANS WILL HAVE A CHANCE

I previously wrote:

__I am outraged at the Indonesian government. The magnificent orangutans are about to become extinct because the palm oil and logging industries and farmers are destroying their habitat. Orangutans dwell only in the rainforests of the Indonesian island of Borneo and in parts of Malaysia. Neither government is doing much to protect the habitat of these great apes. The clear cutting of the rainforest by palm oil crop growers, loggers and farmers, if left unchecked, will ensure the extinction of man’s closest living relative.

Now comes the latest in a long line of broken pledges to stop the deforestation. Although this latest promise concerns the emission of greenhouse gases, if carried out, it would also be of great benefit to the endangered orangutans. Unfortunately we’ve heard these pledges before, but the Indonesian government never backed up its promises with any action.

INDONESIA PRESIDENT TALKS TOUGH ON FOREST DESTROYERS
Indonesia is considered the world's third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, due mainly to rampant deforestation

The Straits Times
January 10, 2011

JAKARTA - INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday ordered provincial governors to act more firmly against mining and plantation firms which continue to destroy forests in the country.

'A number of mining and plantations operations remained destructive to the environment. I urged governors to carry out firmer actions against them,' he told a national forum attended by high-ranking officials in the capital.

Indonesia is considered the world's third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, due mainly to rampant deforestation by palm oil, paper and mining industries, which is fuelled by corruption.

Mr Yudhoyono said he would personally oversee his instructions were implemented.

His administration has been under pressure from environmentalists to implement a two-year moratorium on the clearing of natural forest and peatland, which was due to begin Jan 1 this year.

Norway agreed in May to contribute up to a billion US dollars (S$1.3 billion) to help Indonesia fight deforestation. -- AFP