December 4, 2007 edition
THE climate change conference started in Bali at the beginning of this week. Attending this important event are about 10,000 people, representing 190 countries of the world. During the two-week conference, delegates will discuss several major issues, including carbon trading. One can be forgiven for not knowing much about the subject. Carbon trading is one of many efforts to save the earth from the threat of global warming. Carbon must be kept in the bowels of the earth, so it does not escape into the air, increasing the temperature and melting the polar icecaps.
At the conference, Indonesia plans to propose a scheme aimed at reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation of her forests known by its acronym, REDD. This is a type of incentive for each hectare of carbon-saving in the forests and peatlands. Yet, what can Indonesia really offer when chainsaws are still cutting down trees everywhere? How much of our forests remain? Tempo reports from the heart of the jungles in Riau, Kalimantan and Papua.
Read More
More Cover Story articles in other editions
January 1, 1970 edition
November 13, 2007 edition
Former Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi was named a suspect in the case involving the sale of two large tankers owned by Pertamina. Prosecutors do not yet know the exact amount of state losses incurred by the sale of the two vessels. Laksamana is adamant that President Megawati, his former boss at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle who appointed him SOEs Minister, approved the tanker sale, a transaction which is said to exhibit signs of corruption, collusion and nepotism.
Read More
November 6, 2007 edition
Religious life in Indonesia never seems to be immune from civil unrest. After the attack on the Ahmadiyyah sect last year, a mob recently burnt down the home of the founder of the Al-Qiyadah al-Islamiyah sect. The followers of Ahmad Moshaddeq, a Betawi or native Jakartan, who claims to be a prophet, are on the run. The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) condemns the sect as deviant. Is it true they can be convicted for their religious beliefs? What makes these new sects so appealing that youths become their followers?
Read More
October 23, 2007 edition
The news from neighboring Malaysia has not been pleasant of late. A border dispute caused both sides to put their battleships on alert, followed by a furor over a cultural heritage. Today, migrant workers are causing political tension between our two ethnically similar societies. And why are Malaysian militia members targeting Indonesians visiting their country?
Read More
October 16, 2007 edition
October 9, 2007 edition