Greenpeace calls on Indonesia's president to help stop forest fires

Adianto P. Simamora in the Jakarta Post (Indonesia): Greenpeace called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take immediate action to tackle the latest spate of forest fires that has hit Sumatra’s Riau Province as well as West and Central Kalimantan and parts of Sulawesi. It said that most fires were lit deliberately to clear land for palm oil and paper plantations.

…."President Yudhoyono … will be amongst the eight key world leaders who have the historic opportunity to lead the concerted global efforts to reverse the worst impacts of climate change at the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December." said Zulfahmi, a forest campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

"To show his intent, the President should ensure a 'fire-free' season this year and stop palm oil and paper companies from burning and destroying our forests. Only then forest protection funds can start to flow from developed countries to provide sustainable solutions to forests, the people and biodiversity that depend on them and help win the global battle against climate change."

A forest in Slurup, Indonesia, shot by ESCapade, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License