VOA科学技术2024--Indonesia's Nickel Mining Hurting Forests

Indonesia aims to be the world's top nickel supplier. But its efforts to produce nickel have seriously harmed the country's forests, nonprofit groups say.

Natural resources

Indonesia is the world's third most rainforest-covered country, home to giant forest flowers and rare wild animals such as orangutans and elephants.

Indonesia also has the largest reserves of nickel in the world. The metal lies in shallow deposits in the rain forest. Mining it is easy when the rainforest is cut down.

Until recently, Indonesia mostly sold its nickel deposits in untreated form. It did not have factories to process the metal. Unprocessed nickel sells for less than the processed product.

Ten years ago, Indonesian officials decided¹ the country should stop selling its resources at such a low cost. Instead, officials said Indonesia would process the metal so it would sell at a higher price. This would result in more job openings, also, officials said.

A large nickel-processing project began. Indonesian President Joko Widodo pushed the project further by building nickel factories, or smelters, near electric vehicle battery factories. In addition to the new nickel plants, coal power plants were built also to serve the new industrial sites.

Forest loss

More than 740,000 square kilometers of Indonesian rainforest have been logged, burned or degraded, since 1950, reports the non-profit research group Global Forest Watch.

But at the sites where developers are building these smelters, the surrounding forest disappears twice as fast, a new study by the Indonesian nonprofit Auriga says.

The new study of rainforest loss, based on government data, shows deforestation rose from an average of 33 square kilometers around each nickel processing plant, or smelter, to 63 square kilometers.

Indonesia plans to build as many as 22 new plants. If plans go through deforestation will likely greatly increase.

"The damage to the environment is devastating²," said Timer Manurung of Auriga. "...Rivers are polluted, mangroves are cut to develop smelter areas, coastal⁴ areas and coral are being damaged by the smelters."

The waste from coal power plants is another problem, he said. The Associated Press verified the methodology used in the Auriga report.

Effects

The area of Weda Bay is now one of the world's largest nickel production centers. Smelters and coal-fired power plants burn to process nickel ore into material for batteries and steel.

The village of Lelilef Sawai is now surrounded by the Weda Bay Industrial Park. There, the deforestation and its effects are clear. Local farmer Librek Loha remains⁵ in Lelilef Sawai, refusing to sell the land he has taken care of for forty years. Now orange dust often covers his plants and clean water is often lacking. The plants also grow more slowly, he said.

From his land, he can hear building sounds and see bright orange material flow into the sea. Research shows landslides⁶ are far more likely in deforested areas.

Max Sigoro, 54, is a traditional hunter and farmer. Bright lights and noise from construction scare the deer he used to hunt at night. He says he has lost nearly all the means he had to earn a living since the industrial park's growth.

PT Indonesia Weda Bay officials declined to speak to the Associated Press.

The company says it has planted more than 10 square kilometers of new trees. It says it plays an active part in supporting the living standards of local people, offering economic development. And, the industrial zone meets all environmental standards, PT Indonesia Weda Bay says.

The company also says it works to protect water and has launched coral and mangrove³ planting programs.

The Weda Bay project is just one of the industrial parks criticized by locals nearby. An industrial park on the island of Borneo and other projects in North Maluku are also under community protests.

Perhaps related to these public objections, European companies may be losing interest in nickel from Indonesia.

In recent weeks, the French mining company Eramet and German chemical giant BASF announced they were canceling plans to build a $2.6 billion nickel plant in Indonesia.

Indonesia has been seeking to work more with Tesla, which uses twice as much metal in its total production of batteries than the next highest auto⁷ competitor. The amount of nickel Tesla used in 2023 was up a third over the year before. Only 13 percent came from Indonesia last year. But Tesla's 2023 impact report noted⁸ Indonesia 18 times and warned the country's nickel will be very important.

Tesla did not answer an AP email requesting information about its use of nickel from Indonesia and deforestation.

Questions to Indonesia's Ministry⁹ of Environment and Forestry¹⁰, Coordinating¹¹ Ministry of Maritime¹² and Investment Affairs and Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources also went unanswered.

Words in This Story

shallow - adj. having little depth

deposit - n. a natural accumulation of something (ore, oil, etc.)

battery - n. a cell that gives electricity

devastating - adj. causing great damage or harm

mangrove - n. tropical maritime trees or shrubs that send out many roots and form dense masses

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 mangrove   

n.(植物)红树，红树林

参考例句：

• It is the world's largest tidal mangrove forest.它是世界上最大的红树林沼泽地。
• Many consider this the most beautiful mangrove forest in all Thailand.许多人认为这里是全泰国最美丽的红树林了。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

7 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

11 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

12 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。