US's Lack Of Commitment in Climate Change

American Government Miserly in Converting Indonesia’s Loan
Tuesday, 11 December, 2007 | 21:29 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati is of the opinion that the United States is not helpful in converting the Indonesian government’s loan with the nature conservation program (debt to nature swap).

The statement was conveyed to US Deputy Finance Minister, David McCormick, during the finance ministerial level summit at the United Nations Conference for Climate Change (UNFCC) at the Intercontinental Hotel Jimbaran, Bali, yesterday (10/12).

Uncle Sam only wants to convert Indonesia’s debt to the Indonesian forest conservation and recovery programs amounting to US$19.6 million (around Rp180 billion). “That number is too small. The US has a good deal of money, but they’re very cautious,” said Sri Mulyani, McCormick laughed hearing Sri Mulyani’s satirical remark. “She’s a tough woman,” he said.

McCormick said the debt swap agreement was a program that is important for the forest conservation program.
According to Sri Mulyani, the debt conversion was the US first step for Indonesia. Previously, Indonesia obtained a debt conversion from German and Italy for the education program. “Now the total has reached US$200 million (around Rp1.8 trillion),” she said. The government expected that other creditor countries were willing to swap the debt to certain programs.

The government, said Sri Mulyani, will manage the debt conversion fund with structured management in the form of, for example, a trust fund. The government will invite several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to join in managing the fund. “NGOs will be involved and use the fund connected to tropical forest reservations and others,” she said.

Sri Mulyani said that Indonesia also obtained a program loan from the World Bank amounting to US$600 million. “It’s already been approved by the World Bank last week,” she said.

AGUS SUPRIYANTO

Indonesia clears US miner in pollution trial

Manado, Indonesia - An Indonesian court cleared US mining giant Newmont of pollution on Tuesday, ending a legal battle that put the country's efforts to improve its standing among foreign investors at risk.

Prosecutors had wanted to jail company executive Richard Ness for three years in a high-profile pollution case closely watched by international business leaders as well as the Indonesian government.

Ness and the local unit of Newmont, the world's largest gold miner, had been charged with dumping tonnes of waste containing mercury and arsenic into Buyat Bay from its now defunct gold mine on Sulawesi island.

Ness and PT Newmont Minahasa Raya were also accused of sickening villagers and poisoning marine life with the waste released into the bay, around 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) northeast of Jakarta.

"We are very relieved," said Newmont Minahasa vice president Robert Gallagher told reporters.

"The people of Buyat Bay have suffered as a result of this accusation, and Rick Ness and his family have had an awful time," he said.

"I don't think any of us can understand what they have gone through. This is a relief."

Prosecutor Purwanta, who led the 20-month trial, said he would file an appeal within 14 days.

"They (the judges) only adopted the defence plea of the lawyer and dismissed what had been proven by the prosecutors," he said.

Ness was in the Manado provincial courtroom with his wife and son, who burst into tears when the verdict was read out.

About 100 environmentalists, gathered outside the court, started chanting against the decision as armed riot police stood guard. Another 100 villagers both supporting and opposing Newmont were also on hand for the decision.

"This is unjust, this is unjust," villager Janiah Ompi said.

"Today, the state should cry because the one who lost here is the state," said Rignolda Jamaluddin, who conducted a study of pollution around the bay.

Environmentalists had hoped the verdict would send a signal to companies operating in the resource-rich nation.

Head judge Ridwan Damanik told the court the "water of Buyat Bay was not contaminated with the tailings from PT Newmont."

"The defendant (Ness) is free from the charges of causing pollution and environmental damage."

Complaints from villagers living around the bay included headaches, skin rashes and tumours, which they blamed on the mine's tailings, prompting a police investigation and charges against Newmont in August 2005.

The company consistently denied the claims, saying it disposed of toxins safely and that levels of mercury and arsenic released were within acceptable levels.

Studies of the water around the bay have shown conflicting results. A World Health Organisation-backed report found no evidence of pollution, but government tests showed high levels of toxins.

Denver-based Newmont agreed last year to pay 30 million dollars in an out-of-court settlement in a civil lawsuit with the Indonesian government over the waste.

The deal, which did not see Newmont admit any wrongdoing, funds environmental monitoring and projects aimed at health, education and infrastructure in the area around the former mine. More

Agence France Presse

Without the greenhouse effect we would be freezing at minus 18 degrees

The so-called greenhouse effect of the earth's atmosphere is vital: a layer of air enveloping the planet lets about 70 percent of incoming sun rays pass through, but retains a large part of the heat reflected by the Earth's surface.

This effect makes sure that the planet always has a comfortable median temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Without the greenhouse effect we would be freezing at minus 18 degrees.

The greenhouse effect is caused by certain traces of gases in the atmosphere that let short-wave radiation, such as sunlight pass through easily, but holds back long-wave heat radiation.

Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O, known as laughing gas) are among the main greenhouse gases after steam.

Since the beginning of industrialization, these gases, especially CO2, have been entering the atmosphere in large amounts through the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Agriculture is another source of greenhouse gases.

With more intensive farming practices, deforestation, increasing numbers of cars on our roads, rising industrial production in developed countries and the industrialization of developing nations, the situation is getting worse by the day.

As humans produce more greenhouse gases, the atmosphere absorbs more heat, causing global warming and changing the Earth's climate.

Some visible effects of global warming are melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and worsening weather conditions such as heat waves and stronger storms.

CO2, methane and nitrous oxide make up nearly 90 percent of man- made greenhouse gases, says the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO). With the emission of those gases, humans increase the natural greenhouse effect.

Compared to measurements taken around 1750 - before industrialization - figures at the end of 2005 had increased as follows: Carbon dioxide up 35.4 per cent, nitrous oxide up by 18.2 per cent and methane up by 154.7 per cent

The average CO2 concentration in 2005 was 379.1 ppm (parts per million particles of air). The average for methane was 1.78 ppm, for nitrous oxide 0.32 ppm. At the beginning of industrialization, the CO2 concentration stood at 280 ppm. More