Paper Trees in Precious Ground
Two huge plantation industries are sweeping Indonesia: palm trees used to make oil, and acacia trees used to make paper. But most of the land left for plantations in the wake of deforestation is in peat forests — land with the highest carbon content in the world. Plantations on peat have helped Indonesia become the world’s third biggest greenhouse gas emitter. The debate over emissions from peatlands is most acute in Riau province, Sumatra. Ingrid Lobet reports.
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