Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 13 Jan 10;
Trembesi tree, native to Latin American plant, will help Indonesia cope with climate change as it can absorb 28 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year, a minister says.
“In the next five years, trembesi trees will absorb huge emissions in Indonesia to tackle the climate change,” Gusti told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono distributed millions of trembesi seedlings (Samanea Saman) to local administrations to be planted in an effort to protect the environment.
The launch was held at the State Palace, attended by a number of ministers and governors.
Indonesia hopes to plant a billion trees this year to fight climate change.
Indonesian President launches trembesi-tree planting movement
Antara 13 Jan 10;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the State Palace here on Wednesday launched a trembesi-tree planting movement in an effort to help reduce global warming.
The president did the launching at 9 a.m on Wednesday in a compound located between the State Palace and Merdeka Palace where two trembesi trees are already growing.
The two trembesi trees were planted by Indonesia`s first president, Soekarno. The species, also known as samanea saman or rain tree, has an extraordinary capability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), the gas contributing to global warming.
Trembesi trees are native to Latin America but can also grow well in tropical countries such as Indonesia.
The tree also has great capability to absorb ground water, while according to research conducted by the Forestry Faculty of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), a tremebsi tree trunk can absorb as much as 28 tons of CO2 in a year.
The trembesi-tree-planting movement was launched was part of the president`s "one man, one tree" policy to save the environment.
The event was also attended by members of the National Defense Forces (TNI), National Police and academic institutions, representatives of non-governmental organizations as well as cabinet ministers including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, and Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta.
On the occasion, President Yudhoyono also symbolically presented one million trembesi tree seedlings to all provincial governors in the country to be planted in their respective regions.
Meanwhile, President Yudhoyono`s schedule for the rest of the day included a meeting with former Vice President Jusuf Kalla at his office.
Kalla would meet Yudhyono in his capacity as the new chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). It would be Kalla`s first meeting with the head of state since Yudhoyono was inaugurated for his second term in office for the 2009-2014 term.
According to an agenda distributed by the presidential media and press bureau, President Yudhoyono was scheduled to receive the new Indonesian Red Cross chairman at his office on Wednesday.
Kalla was elected PMI chief at the organization`s 19th national conference on December 22, 2009. He replaces Mar`ie Muhammad who has held the position for more than two terms.
