Forest Loss in Sumatra Becomes a Global Issue

adamAgriculture, Biodiversity, Climate, Ecosystems

Worldwide demand for palm oil used in cooking, cosmetics, and “earth-friendly” biodiesel is driving logging of Sumatra’s once-dense forests and the establishment of palm plantations, causing concern about the greenhouse gas contributions caused by deforestation – which now accounts for 20% of global emissions – and Indonesia’s potential “carbon bomb.”