Forests reduce methane emission<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): Forested land is good for absorbing methane, one
\nof the greenhouse gases that can lead to global warming, a
\nresearcher from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture has found.<\/p>\n
\"It is estimated that up to 40 percent of methane emissions
\ncan sink through forested soils,\" forest climatologist D.
\nMurdiyarso told journalists of his recent finding yesterday.<\/p>\n
Methane is a colorless, odorless gas that occurs abundantly in
\nnature as the chief constituent of natural gas. It is also a
\ncomponent of fire damp in coal mines and a product of the
\nanaerobic bacterial decomposition of vegetable matter under
\nwater.<\/p>\n
The gas is emitted into the atmosphere with the mining and
\nstoring of coal, the extraction of oil and natural gas, the
\nincomplete combustion of certain fuels and leaking of natural
\ngas.<\/p>\n
So far forest conservation has been encouraged to help reduce
\ncarbon dioxide levels. Besides carbon dioxide, Murdiyarso noted
\nthat methane is considered another important factor in the
\nincreased warming near the earth's surface, referred to as the
\n\"greenhouse effect\" when the earth's atmosphere blocks the
\nsunrise.<\/p>\n
The study is part of a country report on the inventories of
\ngas emissions and their reduction that are being carried out by
\nsignatories to the Convention on Climate Change, including
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The Convention was issued at the Earth Summit in Rio de
\nJaneiro, Brazil, in June 1992.<\/p>\n
\"With this finding (of methane reduction) we have at least
\nmoved one step further,\" said Aca Sugandhy, assistant to the
\nMinister of Environment in charge of policy making, who opened a
\ntwo-day workshop on the inventory of emissions and the sinking of
\ngreenhouse gases here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Murdiyarso conducted his study in the Kerinci Seblat forests
\nof Jambi. He said he wants to continue the research for another
\nyear.<\/p>\n
He has also completed another study on methane emission from
\nwetland rice fields in Subang, West Java.<\/p>\n
Wetland farming is considered one of the major human
\nactivities contributing to methane emission, and is thus a
\nfrequent indicator in global estimations.<\/p>\n
Murdiyarso said methane emissions from wetland paddy fields
\nthroughout Indonesia range from 1.07 to 6.48 terragrams a year.
\nOne terragram is equal to a million tons.<\/p>\n
\"However I am optimistic that the average level is low, around
\n2 terragrams if emissions from rain-fed fields are combined,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sugandhy said studies of technologies to reduce emissions of
\nmethane have yet to be conducted.<\/p>\n
Following the first conference of the Convention on Climate
\nChange in Berlin, held in April, Indonesia has received offers of
\nfinancial aid from a number of countries including the United
\nStates, Australia and Germany, to conduct a 'joint
\nimplementation' of the Convention.<\/p>\n
Sugandhy said Indonesia has accepted the offers and will use
\nthe money for more research.<\/p>\n
\"However it has been agreed that such assistance will not
\nbring a single credit point for these countries in their
\nresponsibility to reduce their large portion of carbon dioxide
\nemission,\" Sugandhy said, referring to a major controversy in the
\nBerlin conference.<\/p>\n
The workshop also heard other reports on gas emission
\nestimates in the sectors of agriculture, electricity and mining.
\n(anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forests-reduce-methane-emission-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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