Deforestation

A wide belt of forests of amazing diversity and productivity can be found at the equator of Earth’s land surfaces. Tropical forests include dense rainforests, seasonally moist forests and drier, more open woodlands. Tropical forests of all varieties are disappearing rapidly as humans clear the natural landscape to make room for farms and pastures, to harvest timber for construction and fuel, and to build roads and urban areas.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide and use it to grow, so they will help to keep the world climate more stable, but when they decay or burn that might be caused by the climate change,the carbon dioxide is released. Decaying plants also produce methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. That’s way deforestation and forest degradation could be both a cause and a result of climate change.
It’s doubly damaging when greenhouse gasses are released through forest fires, or using the cut trees as firewood and at the same time the number of carbon dioxide absorbing trees are reduced. Thirty percent of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere over the past 150 years is thought to come from deforestation, but this is a small amount compared to what is still stored in forests. The Canadian and Russian boreal forests alone hold 40 percent of the world's carbon stocks.

Changes in temperature ranges and precipitation can harm forests. Droughts and forest fires are expected to increase due to climate change. Forest fires can be a normal part of forests - they clear dense brush and are part of some species lifecycle. However, forests over stressed by human activity and drought can also be devastated by them. There are already indications that the Amazon is drying out, which could lead to a dangerous feedback of fires and desertification.

Invasive insect species may also damage forest health. Insects play a role in boreal ecology - they decompose litter, supply food for birds and small animals, and eliminate diseased trees. But insect attacks are likely to increase in frequency and intensity as established forests succumb to the physiological stress associated with warmer, drier conditions. As the Arctic warms, some invasive insect species, which the colder climate normally helps hold in check, are already increasing in population.

It's worth noting that proper sustainable forestry practices do not cause a net increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because a new tree is grown for every one cut down. By contrast, clear cutting and converting forestland into to urban areas has a very high negative impact - because the forest is destroyed and replaced with heat absorbing pavement and buildings.

Obviously, re-forestation, sustainable logging and protecting ancient forests are essential to not increase the pace of climate change further - so long as these forests are not destroyed later (by future logging, forest fires, etc.).

However, to prevent dangerous human induced climate change, we need to address the main cause - the burning of fossil fuels and the release of industrial greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

Help protect the world's ancient forests by buying only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood, and products with post-consumer recycled content. You'll be saving vital habitat, and doing good by the climate at the same time.
references :
www.Greenpeace.org

Commemoration day of global climate change

Thousands of people from all over the world commemorate the day of climate change worldwide by conducting the action, Saturday (24/10). In Beijing, China, hundreds of activists around the city using a bicycle to campaign the use of environmentally friendly vehicles.

A similar action occurred in Taiwan, Sydney, Australia and Manila. They gathered in their respective cities by forming the number 350 to remind the normal limit of carbon dioxide on the planet Earth. In Italy, environmental activists gathered in front of the parliament building while sounding an alarm clock, a sign of time to save the earth even more urgent.

Campaign initiated www.350.org site was followed more than 5000 actions around the world. This action is part of the commemoration day of global climate change that falls on October 24.

These activities are also conducted before the comprehensive, ambitious and fair international climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen, 7-18 December 2009. The process leading to Copenhagen was launched in Bali, December 2007, when all Parties agreed on the Bali Action Plan - a two-year process leading to an agreed outcome on climate change action in Copenhagen.
Source:liputan6.com, unfccc.int.

Past of the earth

Information about the past of the earth have been able to reconstruct by the scientists. The solar system material earliest date is about 4.5672 ± 0.0006 billion years ago, and by 4.54 billion years ago (within an uncertainty of 1%) the Earth and the other planets in the Solar System formed out of the solar nebula. It is a disk-shaped mass of dust and gas left over from the formation of the Sun. This assembly of the Earth through accretion was largely completed within 10–20 million years. Initially molten, the outer layer of the planet Earth cooled to form a solid crust when water began accumulating in the atmosphere. The Moon formed shortly thereafter, 4.53 billion years ago, most likely as the result of a Mars-sized object (sometimes called Theia) with about 10% of the Earth's mass impacting the Earth in a glancing blow. Some of this object's mass would have merged with the Earth and a portion would have been ejected into space, but enough material would have been sent into orbit to form the Moon.

Outgassing and volcanic activity produced the primordial atmosphere. The earth’s ocean produced by condensing water vapor, augmented by ice and liquid water delivered by asteroids and the larger proto-planets, comets, and trans-Neptunian objects. The newly-formed Sun was only 70% of its present luminosity, yet evidence shows that the early oceans remained liquid—a contradiction dubbed the faint young Sun paradox. A combination of greenhouse gases and higher levels of solar activity served to raise the Earth's surface temperature, preventing the oceans from freezing over

Two major models have been proposed for the rate of continental growth: steady growth to the present-day and rapid growth early in Earth history. Current research shows that the second option is most likely, with rapid initial growth of continental crust followed by a long-term steady continental area. On time scales lasting hundreds of millions of years, the surface continually reshaped itself as continents formed and broke up. The continents migrated across the surface, occasionally combining to form a supercontinent. Roughly 750 million years ago(MA), one of the earliest known supercontinents, Rodinia, began to break apart. The continents later recombined to form Pannotia, 600–540 Ma, then finally Pangaea, which broke apart 180 Ma.
Thanks to: Wikipedia

The earth.

Earth referred to the world, some say the blue planet, the planet where we lived. It is the third planet from the Sun. It is the fifth largest of the eight planets in the solar system, it’s have the largest diameter among non-gas planets in the Solar System.

Earth is a home to millions of live things including us, Earth is the only place in the universe where we know there is a life. The scientist said that it formed 4.54 billion years ago and life grown since a billion years. Since then, Earth's biosphere has significantly altered the atmosphere and other abiotic conditions on the planet, enabling the proliferation of aerobic organisms as well as the formation of the ozone layer which, together with Earth's magnetic field, blocks harmful radiation, permitting life on land. The physical properties of the Earth, as well as its geological history and orbit, allowed life to persist during this period. The world is expected to continue supporting life for another 1.5 billion years, after which the rising luminosity of the Sun will eliminate the biosphere.

Earth's outer surface is divided into several rigid segments, or tectonic plates, that gradually migrate across the surface over periods of many millions of years. About 71% of the surface is covered with water, the remainder consisting of continents and islands; water necessary for all known life, is not known to exist on any other planet's. Earth's interior remains active, with a thick layer of relatively solid mantle, a liquid outer core that generates a magnetic field, and a solid iron inner core

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Earth interacts with other objects in outer space, including the Sun and the Moon. Earth orbits the Sun once for every roughly 366.26 times it rotates about its axis. This length of time is a year, which is equal to 365.26 days. The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 23.4° away from the perpendicular to its orbital plane that produce seasonal variations on the planet's surface in a year. Earth's satellite, the Moon, which began orbiting it about 4.53 billion years ago, provides ocean tides, stabilizes the axial tilt and gradually slows the planet's rotation. Between approximately 4.1 and 3.8 billion years ago, asteroid impacts during the Late Heavy Bombardment caused significant changes to the surface environment.

The mineral resources of the planet and the products of the biosphere, contribute resources that are used to support a global human population. The inhabitants are grouped into about 200 independent sovereign states, which interact through diplomacy, travel, trade and military action. Human cultures have developed many views of the planet, including personification as a deity, a belief as flat or being the center of the universe, and a modern perspective of the world as an integrated environment that requires stewardship.

The impact of global warming in Indonesia

Global warming (global warming) is essentially a phenomenon of global temperature increases from year to year because of the greenhouse effect (greenhouse effect) caused by increased emissions of gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrite dioxide (N2O) and CFCs so that solar energy trapped in the earth's atmosphere. See "what caused global warming?". The literature shows an increase in global temperatures - including Indonesia - which occurred in the range 1.5-40 Celsius in the late 21st century.

Global warming impact caused extensive and serious for the bio-geophysical environment (such as melting polar ice caps, sea level rise, expanding deserts, increasing rainfall and floods, climate change, extinction of certain flora and fauna, the migration of fauna and pest and disease, etc. ). While the impact on the socio-economic activities of the community include: (a) disruption of the function of coastal areas and coastal cities, (b) disruption of the function of infrastructure and facilities such as road networks, ports and airports (c) disruption of residential areas, (d) reduction productivity of agricultural land, (e) increased risk of cancer and disease, etc.)

The impact of rising sea levels and flooding on Bio-geophysical Environment and Social-Economic Condition.

Sea level rise would result in general the following impact: (a) increased frequency and intensity of floods, (b) changes in ocean currents and the widespread destruction of mangrove, (c) expansion of sea water intrusion, (d) a threat to the socio-economic activities of society coastal, and (e) reduction in land area or loss of small islands.
The increased frequency and intensity of floods caused by the random pattern of rainfall and short rainy season while the very high rainfall (extreme events). Another possibility is due to backwater effects from coastal to inland areas. The frequency and intensity of flooding is predicted occurs 9 times greater in the next decade where the 80% increase in flooding occurred in South and Southeast Asia (including Indonesia) with an area of the floodwaters reached 2 million square miles. Increasing the volume of water in coastal areas will provide an accumulative effect when the sea level rise and increased frequency and intensity of rain occurred in the same period.
• sea-level rise than the ocean currents cause changes in the coastal areas also cause damage to the mangrove ecosystem, which currently only condition is very worrying. Extensive mangrove forests in Indonesia continued to decline from 5,209,543 ha (1982) decreased to 3,235,700 ha (1987) and decreased again to 2,496,185 ha (1993). In a 10-year period (1982-1993), has been a decline in the mangrove forest ± 50% of the total area of the original. If the existence of mangrove untenable, then: coastal abrasion will often occur because there was no wave drag, the pollution of the river to the sea will rise because there was no filter pollutants, and the zone would be threatened aquaculture itself.
• The spread of sea water intrusion caused by the occurrence of other than sea level rise was also triggered by the occurrence of land and excessive ground water exploitation. For example, estimated in the period between 2050 until 2070, then the sea water intrusion will cover 50% of the total area of North Jakarta.
• disruption of socio-economic conditions of society that occurred among others: (a) the disruption of road networks and railway traffic in Pantura, East Java and South Sumatra; (b) a pool of settlements in the coastal cities located in areas Pantura Java, Sumatra, eastern, southern Kalimantan, south west Sulawesi, and some coastal spots in Papua; (c) loss of cultivated land such as rice fields, brackish fish ponds, and mangrove area of 3.4 million hectares, equivalent to U.S. $ 11.307 million; this picture becomes even more 'blurred' when linked to the existence of centers of food production is only range from only 4% of the total national area, and (d) decrease in land productivity in food centers, such as the Citarum river , Brantas, and Saddang very crucial for the survival of food self-sufficiency in Indonesia. The areas of Indonesia affected by the potential rise in sea level are shown in Figure 1 below.
• Risk reduction in coastal area and even the loss of small islands that can reach 2000 to 4000 the number of islands, depending on sea level rise that occurred. Assuming the shoreline setback as far as 25 meters, at the end of 2100 century coastal land loss reached 202,500 ha.
• For Indonesia, the impact of sea level rise and flooding is more exacerbated by the tropical forest reduction significant, either by fire or by defoliation. Data collected from the Georgetown - International Environmental Law Review (1999) showed that in the period 1997 to 1998 is not less than 1.7 million hectares of forest burning in Sumatra and Kalimantan, due to the influence of El Nino. Even WWF (2000) mention the larger number, between 2 to 3.5 million hectares in the same period. If not taken steps to correct the damage to forests - especially the functioning of protected - will lead to greater run-offs in the upstream region, increasing the risk of flooding and downstream areas, and expand the water scarcity in the long run.

Anticipate Increase Front Impact and Flood Sea water through the of National Plan by observing the impact of global warming which has a national scale and the dimensions of time, long-term, then the existence of RTRWN become very important. RTRWN outlines the aspects of legality established by Regulation No.47/1997 as a manifestation of article 20 of Law No.24/1992 on Spatial Planning policy guidance includes the use of state space that shows the pattern and structure of national territory to be achieved during the will come.

Pattern of utilization of national territorial space include: (a) referral policies and criteria for protected area management (including disaster-prone areas such as areas prone to tidal waves and floods), and (b) referral policies and criteria for the management of cultivated areas (forest production, agriculture, mining, tourism, settlement, etc.). While the structure of national territory space utilization include: (a) referral development of national settlement systems and (b) referral development of a national system of regional infrastructure (such as transportation networks, electricity, water resources, and raw water.
In accordance with the dynamics of development and the strategic environment continues to change, then felt the need to review RTRWN setting material (PP 47/1997) in order to always be able to respond to issues and demands the development of the national territory to the front. Therefore, the Government was currently reviewing RTRWN conducted with due regard to the strategic environment changes or new paradigm as follows:
• Economic globalization and its implications,
• decentralization and its implications,
• handling of inter-state border region and synchronization,
• marine resources management,
• development of the area left for the alleviation of poverty and economic crisis,
• recycling of hydrology,
• handling of land subsidence,
• utilization Bible point to prosperity and security, as well as
• global warming and other effects.
Thus, the aspect of sea level rise and flooding should be one of the significant inputs for policy and national regional development strategy is contained in RTRWN especially for the development of coastal areas to remember: (a) the amount of concentration of population that inhabited the coastal region, especially in cities coastal cities, (b) the amount of economic potential of coastal areas owned, (c) the use of the coastal areas that have not been reflecting the synergy between the economic interests of the environment, (d) high space utilization conflicts across sectors and across regions, and (e) yet the creation of functional linkages between upstream and downstream areas, which tend to harm the coastal region.
Based on studies conducted by ADB (1994), the impact of sea level rise and flooding is expected to give a serious disruption to areas such as: Pantura Java, Sumatra, eastern, southern Kalimantan, south west Sulawesi, and some spot on Western coast of Papua
For the cultivated area, then greater attention should be given to coastal towns that have a strategic role for the coastal region, namely the central area of growth that provide economic, social, and governance for the region. Coastal cities are expected to experience the threat of sea level rise include the Lhokseumawe, Belawan, Bagansiapi-fire, Batam, Kalianda, Jakarta, Tegal, Semarang, Surabaya, Singkawang, Ketapang, Makassar, Pare-Pare, Sinjai.
Special attention should be given to the development of policy direction and management of infrastructure criteria are important areas for the development of national economy, but has a vulnerability to the impacts of sea level rise and flooding, such as:
• some streets of East Cross Sumatra (from Lhokseumawe to Bandar Lampung along the ± 1600 km) and some Java Pantura Cross road (from Jakarta to Surabaya along the ± 900 km) and most of Central Sulawesi Cross (from Pare-pare, Makassar until Bulukumba along the ± 250 km).
• a national strategic ports, such as Belawan (Medan), Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Tanjung Mas (Semarang), Pontianak, Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), and the port of Makassar.
• irrigation network in the area of food centers like Pantura Java, Sumatra and the eastern parts of South Sulawesi.
• Some strategic airport such as Medan, Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar, and Semarang.
For protected areas in RTRWN, the policies and criteria for referral management patterns of natural disaster-prone areas, nature reserves, wildlife, conservation, and local protected areas (coastal border, and rivers) should be formulated in order to anticipate the environmental damage that might occur.
Besides the anticipation of strategic macro-above, is also necessary to anticipate the impact of sea level rise and flooding that are micro-operations. At the micro level, the cultivation area development in coastal areas should be done by considering several alternatives recommended by the IPCC (1990) as follows:
• Relocation; alternative was developed when the economic and environmental impacts due to sea level rise and flood so great that the cultivation areas have shifted more away from the coastline. In extreme conditions, even, should be considered to avoid at all areas that have very high vulnerability.
• Accommodation; this alternative is adjusting to the change of nature or risk the possible impact of such reclamation, or changes in elevation of the building agriculture and brackish water cultivation (aquaculture); inevitable areas, but is expected not to cause a serious threat to the salvation of souls, assets and socio-economic activities and the environment.
• Protection; this alternative has two possibilities, namely that are hard structures such as the construction of wave drag (Breakwater) or flood embankments (seawalls) and which are soft structures such as mangroves or hoarding sand vegetation (beach nourishment). Although the changes tend to be defensive against nature, this alternative needs to be done carefully keeping in mind the natural processes that occur in accordance with the principle of "working with nature".
As for protected areas, priority should be given to the handling of coastal border, border rivers, mangroves, coral reefs, nature reserves wildlife / nature reserves / habitats of flora, fauna, and areas that are ecologically sensitive or have high vulnerability to natural changes or region problematic. For small islands the protection should be given to the islands that have special functions, such as a transit point of fauna, flora and fauna habitats of rare / protected and so on.
In order for the principle of integrity management of coastal areas of development can actually be realized, then the conservation of protected areas on the upstream side - in particular tropical forests - should also get attention. This is important so that the rate of global warming can be reduced, while reducing the impact of increased scale in coastal areas in the downstream region.
The need for policy interventions in the context of Spatial Anticipating Global Warming Impact on Coastal and Small Islands.
In the framework of spatial planning policy, it is one RTRWN policy instruments that can be used for the impact of global warming on coastal regions and small islands. However, in addition to the preparation RTRWN also pursued a policy of revitalization and operation of spatial planning oriented to the use and control of space utilization of coastal areas and small islands with a depth greater detail Of spatial policy interventions basically taken over to meet the following objectives:
• Achieve sustainable development in coastal areas, including coastal cities with all residents and completeness (infrastructure and facilities) that the functions of regions and cities as a food source (the source of nourishment) can still take place.
• Reduce vulnerability (vulnerability) of coastal areas and the settlers (inhabitants) from the threat of sea level rise, floods, abrasion, and the threat of nature (natural hazards) others.
• Maintain ongoing ecological processes essential for life support systems and biodiversity in coastal areas to remain stable which is achieved through the integration of natural resource management from upstream to downstream (integrated coastal zone management).
• To support the revitalization effort and achievement operation of spatial planning, the necessary supports, such as: (a) preparation of guidelines and norms, standards, procedures and Manual (NSPM) for the acceleration field of spatial decentralization to the regions - in particular for spatial planning and management of coastal resources / edge of the water; (b) improving the quality and quantity of human resources and strengthening institutional mechanisms formats and spatial planning, (c) dissemination of products of spatial to the community through public awareness campaign, (d) preparation of the support system information and database management of coastal areas and small islands are adequate, and (e) preparation of maps that can be used as a tool to realize the integration and management of coastal areas, small islands and to avoid cross-border conflicts.
• Furthermore, in order to manage coastal development in an efficient and effective, necessary strategies of spatial utilization of the matching with the spirit of regional autonomy developed by considering the following factors:
• integration of cross-sector and cross-region in the context of the development of coastal areas so as to create consistency in the management of sector and regional development of spatial plans coastal region.
• bottom-up approach or prioritize the role of community (participatory planning process) in the implementation of coastal development, transparent and accountable, to be more accommodative to various inputs and aspirations in the implementation of all stakeholders development.
• Cooperation between regions (inter-provincial, district and coastal cities, the urban with rural areas, and between upstream and downstream areas) so as to create synergy development with due regard to coastal initiatives, and potential local benefits, while reducing the potential for conflict across the region
• Law enforcement is consistent and consistently - both PP, decree, or law - to avoid one-sided interests and for the implementation of role-sharing is 'balanced' between the elements of the stakeholders.