Climate Change in Indonesia

An interesting, and highly controversial, topic. Thank you for opening a discussion that, hopefully, will not become like Pandora's Box, rather more Like Aladdin's Cave in terms of rich and fruitful debate, information gathering and exchange.

I'm no expert in the science of climate change but do try to keep an open mind as to what may be either causing or contributing unnecessarily to the phenomenon.

To my unscientifically trained mind, it seems obvious that things like air conditioning, internal combustion engines and forest (or even local garden refuse) burning are major culprits. Something akin to Newton's Law of equal and opposite effect comes back to my dim high school science memory. One only has to pass by an air-conditioner unit to feel the blast of hot air being exhausted into an already overheating atmosphere.

On the subject of burning forest to clear land for palm oil cultivation, there's an interesting movement called Palm Oil Investigations that is doing some excellent work providing knowledge on the sneaky companies doing their best to hide this ingredient that's contributing to the inappropriate form of land clearing. Look them up on Facebook and learn about the devastation that's occurring.

My view on this issue is: knowing which products contain unethically produced Palm Oil, and trying to avoid buying them, is the most proactive one can be in trying to reduce a very significant problem.

On another point, regarding the countries with the largest ocean front land mass, without having checked the facts may I point to Australia as possibly having a longer coastline than Canada? Happy to be corrected here, just waving my Aussie patriotism and drawing on my geography classes where I stayed awake.

Great topic, looking forward to some hefty contributions.

Canada is far bigger than Australia as its lands spread into the Artic so there are many inlets and ravines which make it larger. Wikipedia suggests Australia is the 6th largest after other countries, but it depends on what you read but Canada is bigger.

We all guilty of using Palm Oil as it is hard not too. This link will explain why

https://drpongo.files.wordpress.com/201 … exweek.pdf

and we can all point the fingers at the producers of palm oil, yet our thirst for Pringles and shampoo goes unabated and so land gets cleared for that reason (well not just for that, but in a general sense, I am sure you catch my drift).

Whilst living in England, Climate change was blamed on emerging countries using coal and oil too much and clearing forest for financial gain. Then moving to an emerging country, you realise that people clear land for survival and the right to live their life in the only way they know. Then you read that the developing countries won't reduce their consumption of oil and coal but emerging countries need not use it and stop clearing land and will be paid to do that.
New people who come here complain that there are too many palm nut trees and rainforests being cleared and therefore ruing the world so they are instructed to switch off the AC and not use western toiletries to help save the planet, which of course they won't do as it is too hot and they like their comforts.

Everyone seems to know climate change is bad yet most won't make a stand or change their lifestyles to make a difference.