[Heineken]

Since the rainforests are doomed to hell, and soon, that leaves little else to say on the subject. Might as well talk about fire ants.

(I'm not saying a new thread on fire ants shouldn't be started; I'm merely noting with interest how THIS thread has evolved.)

[bodigami]

I propose either:

1) split this thread
or
2) start talking of how we can save the rainforrests if we behave less like fire ants

[BigTex]

If I had my choice of fire ant killing device, I think I would choose the flamethrower. The flamethrower is one of the coolest handheld weapons there is, and the opportunity to use it on the evil fire ant would be a wonderful application of its killing power.

I believe that even if I was attacked by all of the fire ants in the world, with a well fueled flame thrower I could hold them off for a while.

What great satisfaction I would take in building a "300" style wall out of the roasted fire ant carcasses (though it would probably be a smaller wall than the one in "300") as a warning to the legions of fire ants poised to attack.

[Heineken]

Tex, it's ironic, perhaps, that that's the same scorched-earth policy being applied to rainforests. (Sort of brings the discussion full-circle.)

[Graeme]

Rainforests may pump winds worldwide

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')HE acres upon acres of lush tropical forest in the Amazon and tropical Africa are often referred to as the planet's lungs. But what if they are also its heart? This is exactly what a couple of meteorologists claim in a controversial new theory that questions our fundamental understanding of what drives the weather. They believe vast forests generate winds that help pump water around the planet.

If correct, the theory would explain how the deep interiors of forested continents get as much rain as the coast, and how most of Australia turned from forest to desert. It suggests that much of North America could become desert - even without global warming. The idea makes it even more vital that we recognise the crucial role forests play in the well-being of the planet.

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')espite ending 2016 on an apparent high note, there are plenty of things to worry about in 2017 when it comes to Indonesia’s forests. Jokowi’s moratorium isn’t permanent — it only lasts until the government finishes mapping and zoning the nation’s peatlands. And there are no guarantees that prosecution of companies will hold up in court — while important legal precedents have been set in sanctioning companies for illegal peatlands destruction, the judiciary has set a relatively high bar for liability in some cases given the difficulty in attributing responsibility to fire-setting. Nor is it always clear exactly what instruction the administration is providing to companies.

Additionally, there are significant headwinds for Indonesian companies that have adopted zero deforestation policies. Last year political pressure killed the Indonesian Palm Oil Pledge (IPOP), a private sector initiative that aimed to improve the environmental performance of the palm oil sector. And now the backlash seems to be building: former IPOP members and other zero deforestation companies seem to be in the crosshairs, with officials in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry making a habit of attacking them publicly, while producers that operate in the shadows — the mid-market companies between big exporters and smallholders that frequently have powerful political allies — often escape scrutiny. Big companies offer big targets, but how long will the boards and shareholders of zero deforestation companies remain committed if these policies prompt political retribution?

Outside of politics and zero deforestation, there are plenty of other things to watch in Indonesia in 2017. Will severe haze return? And if it does, will companies and various bureaucracies be able to mount an effective response? Will the peat restoration agency, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and local governments be able to work together to realize ambitious peat restoration targets? Will jurisdictional approaches advance? What about the stalled One Map initiative that aims harmonize maps between ministries and sub-national governments? And how will indigenous land recognition be operationalized with proper safeguards?