A climate threat, rising from the soil

A climate threat, rising from the soil

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a vast and often smoldering layer of coal-black peat that has made Indonesia the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States.

Unlike the noxious gases pumped into the atmosphere by gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles in the United States and smoke-belching factories in China, danger here in the heart of Borneo rises from the ground itself.

Peat, formed over thousands of years from decomposed trees, grass and scrub, contains gigantic quantities of carbon dioxide, which used to stay locked in the ground. It is now drying and disintegrating, as onc

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The world's 3rd largest polluter is a PEAT BOG!

Indonesia is the world's 3rd largest producer of CO2 without burning anything. It comes from the soil!

"Amid often-acrimonious debate over how to curb global warming ahead of a critical U.N. conference next month in Copenhagen, "peat is the big elephant in the room," said Agus Purnomo, head of Indonesia's National Council on Climate Change.

Will the ecology gurus at Copenhagen slap a big fine on Indonesia as punishment?

"How dirt became so dangerous -- and why reversing the damage is so difficult -- is on grim display here in Central Kalimantan, inhabited by about 2 million people and a rapidly dwindling population of orangutans. Economic logic here is firmly on the side of those wrecking the environment."

There are a lot of questions being raised here!!


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[edit on 19/11/09 by plumranch]

reply to post by plumranch


I demand Copenhagen reparations from Indonesia. How dare they destroy dear Mother Earth with their evil peat bogs. I either want cash or I demand all Indonesians hold their breath for the next year to make up for it.

reply to post by plumranch


To prevent this pollution from the peat fires would essentially be preventing the local population from making a living from agricultural activities. So basically in is unavoidable without removal of the people from the land. So my question is what measures could possibly help?

Peat, formed over thousands of years from decomposed trees, grass and scrub, contains gigantic quantities of carbon dioxide, which used to stay locked in the ground. It is now drying and disintegrating, as once-soggy swamps are shorn of trees and drained by canals, and when it burns, carbon dioxide gushes into the atmosphere.

and:

Fires, meanwhile, have grown more frequent and serious. For centuries, Kalimantan locals have burned forestland to create plots for farming. But what used to be small, controlled fires have become fearsome conflagrations as dry and degraded peat goes up in smoke. Estimating carbon emissions from deforested peatland is a highly complicated and inexact science. Even when not burning, dried peat leaks a slow but steady stream of carbon dioxide and other gases. Once it catches fire, the stream becomes a torrent.

Inteeresting indeed! Thier is s imlpe solution..Keep burrying the peat! Hope thiers enough soil to do so , for as long as errosoion and plate techtonics is around :/

reply to post by ziggy1706


This colorful PDF sort of summarizes the problem with visuals as follows:

Global Warming and Peat of Indonesia Problematic Connection between them and A Way of Resolution

What made peat lands dried? • A rice field plan by Suharto doctrine. • Development of canals for carry. • Settlement aiming to grow crops for merchandise. • Cutting forests for wood pulp or palm oil (Lumbering). => These are a series of policy of developing country.

• For these factors, peat bogs became dried and easy of combustion. • That condition sets bogs for easier to exhaust huge amount of CO2.

Resolution of peat land problems by Indonesian government • A plantation  Supported by NGO and NPO. People forest dried peat lands. Without maintenance, saplings can’t grow into trees.  The government set a monetary reward for the persons who cared and maintained seedlings.

Resolution of Indonesia 2 • Prohibiting people from cutting trees. =>To protect forests from lumbering, the government banned deforestation. =>Succeeded in guarding forests in some aspects, but regulation has been not so perfect and effective.

Resolution of Indonesia 3 • Prohibiting burning off dead grass and slash-andburn agriculture by law.  Life of small business farmers would be difficult to sustain.  However, Indonesian government has no room for backing them up.  Their support for the Government could be damaged.  Practically, nothing

In summary, it is possible to solve the problem but it would take a ton of money from developed countries and a lot of cooperation by the Indonesian government and the political ramifications would be dangerous for that government.

If CO2 is as big a problem as GW people say it is then the GW people need to see that something is done and done soon about Indonesia.! If nothing is done (and indeed nothing is being done) then it is indirect proof that the GW initiative has "other" goals like shutting down economies, centralizing governments and raising taxes!