Orangutan forest bali

BEDUGUL, Bali: On the southern slopes of dormant volcano Mount Bratan were three peculiar looking steel structures, standing several hundred metres apart from each other. The structures – two-metre-tall metal pipes adorned with oversized valves and protected by razor-wire fences – seemed at odd with the surrounding landscape, one of the last swaths of untouched forests in the tourist island of Bali, Indonesia. The pipes and an abandoned pond nearby are all that is left from a stalled project to construct the island’s first geothermal power plant. READ: World should look at all options to reduce emissions, Saudi energy minister says The project was halted in 1995 following a series of protests from locals, but not before three out of the six proposed wells were dug and kilometres of roads paved. Around 1 sq km of forest was also cleared. The mountain, protesters said, has water springs which are vital to the thousands living and farming on Mount Bratan’s foothills and … [Read more...] about Clean energy but at what cost? Bali geothermal project a double-edged sword

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday (Feb 22) local authorities should get prepared for potential forest fires later this year as hot spots had been detected on the island of Sumatra. The Southeast Asian country has suffered some of the biggest tropical forest fires outside the Amazon and Congo in recent years, putting at risk endangered animals like orangutans and tigers and sending choking haze across the region. "Ninety-nine per cent of forest fires are perpetrated by humans, whether intentional or out of negligence," Jokowi, as the president is widely known, said in a virtual meeting with officials. Farmers often used fire as a cheap land clearing method, the president said, calling on local governments to get forest fire containment infrastructure ready. Jokowi said Sumatra is facing a rising risk of forest fires this month and warned that the Kalimantan region on Borneo island, as well as Sulawesi island, could also start seeing forest fires in May … [Read more...] about Indonesia president warns of forest fires as hot spots detected

The police have named three suspects for allegedly slaughtering, cooking and eating an orangutan after the endangered species was caught wandering around in an oil palm concession in Kapuas regency, Central Kalimantan. Kapuas Police chief Sr. Comr. Jukiman Situmorang said on Friday that after 10 people had been taken in for questioning on Tuesday, investigators had decided to name three plantation workers, identified by their initials AY, 30, EMS, 39 and ER, 23, suspects. "They [allegedly] killed the orangutan just to consume its flesh," said Jukiman, adding that the police would not detain the suspects because the maximum penalty for the offence was not more than five years. The case is believed to have occurred at an oil palm concession owned by PT Susantri Permai, part of Malaysian conglomerate Genting Group, in Tumbang Puroh village, on Jan. 28. The incident reportedly began when a worker was harvesting fruit before encountering and being chased by an agitated orangutan. … [Read more...] about Three suspects named for feasting on orangutan in Kalimantan

PEKANBARU, Riau: Mdm Sri Ruayati posted a note on at the front door of her tiny home sitting at the end of a small dirt road in the village of Rimbo Panjang. Written in black and red marker pen, the note read: “We are not blaming anyone. But please carry out the duties you are sworn to do.” Since Sunday (Sep 15), fire has been raging just 50 metres from her home, in a peatland covered in thick shrubs and tall trees. The flames have been slowly inching toward her house. An orange glow was clearly visible above the treeline beyond her backyard fence as thick black smoke billowed tens of metres up into the air. In a panic, Mdm Ruayati and her three teenage daughters frantically summoned everyone around them, including the people relaxing at a small coffee shop at the side of a busy road. People came one by one, watching the flames and documenting the scene on their phones. “I asked my neighbours, ‘who here called the fire brigade?’ Everyone fell silent,” she recounted … [Read more...] about At ground zero, Indonesians cry foul over inadequate response to fight forest fires

JAKARTA: It was a picture of Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio standing in front of two elephants with a man and a woman in Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem that got people talking in 2016. The actor posted the picture on his Instagram and said that Leuser is “a world-class biodiversity hotspot … but palm oil expansion is destroying this unique place”. Leuser Ecosystem is a forest area spanning Indonesia’s most western province Aceh and North Sumatra province, and a prized ecological hotspot. The photo, taken when DiCaprio was filming in Leuser for a documentary film about climate change, outraged the government. Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar responded by saying that the ministry was “working hard” to protect the environment. But some were curious to know who was the woman standing next to DiCaprio, one of Hollywood’s most famous actors. “In all honesty, I did feel a bit star-struck,” said Farwiza Farhan who was also featured in the documentary. … [Read more...] about ‘I’m as good as any man’: Aceh activist champions megafauna sanctuary preservation