JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of deforestation data. But the loss is still seen as historically low compared to the 2010s, it said.
“Deforestation has been declining from six or so years ago, when there were peak rates,” said Rod Taylor, global director of the forests program at WRI. “It's good news and commendable for Indonesia.”
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of deforestation data. But the loss is still seen as historically low compared to the 2010s, it said.
A swath of forest on a hill that has been cleared from trees to make way for a corn plantation is visible in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Saturday, April 20, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A stump of a tree is visible at a swath of land that has been cleared to make way for a corn plantation Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A man uses a motorcycle to transport palm fruit at a plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. Indonesia saw a 27% increase in primary forest loss in 2023, according to an analysis of data shared by World Resources Institute. The tree losses came in protected national parks and in massive swaths of jungle cut down for palm oil and paper plantations and for mining. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
Cows graze at a palm oil plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A man uses a machete to clear land to make way for a corn plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
Men load palm fruit onto a truck at a palm oil plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Indonesia saw a 27% increase in primary forest loss in 2023, according to an analysis of data shared by World Resources Institute. The tree losses came in protected national parks and in massive swaths of jungle cut down for palm oil and paper plantations and for mining. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A hill that has been cleared from trees to make way for a corn plantation is visible in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Saturday, April 20, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
But others saw cause for concern in the uptick, and tied some of the more recent deforestation to the world's appetite for mining Indonesia's vast deposits of nickel, which is critical for the green energy transition.
The latest data from the University of Maryland's Global Land Analysis and Discovery laboratory was shared on Global Forest Watch — a platform run by WRI that provides data, technology and tools for monitoring the world’s forests.
A vast tropical archipelago stretching across the equator, Indonesia is home to the world’s third-largest rainforest, with a variety of endangered wildlife and plants, including orangutans, elephants and giant forest flowers. Some live nowhere else.
Since 1950, more than 74 million hectares (285,715 square miles) of Indonesian rainforest — an area twice the size of Germany — have been logged, burned or degraded for development of palm oil, paper and rubber plantations, nickel mining and other commodities, according to Global Forest Watch. Indonesia is the biggest producer of palm oil, one of the largest exporters of coal and a top producer of pulp for paper. It also exports oil and gas, rubber, tin and other resources.
Expansion of industrial plantations occurred in several locations adjacent to existing palm oil tree and pulp and paper plantations on the tropical islands of Kalimantan and West Papua, according to the analysis.
The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry said the expansion occurred in concessions granted before the current administration took office in 2014.
The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry did not respond to questions and a request for comment sent by The Associated Press.
Global Forest Watch’s data on Indonesia's loss of primary forests — which are old-growth forests typically high in stored carbon and rich in biodiversity — are higher than the official Indonesian statistics. That’s because much of the primary forest loss in Indonesia, according to the analysis, is within areas that Indonesia classifies as secondary forest — areas that have regenerated through largely natural processes after human actions such as agriculture clearing or timber harvest. Secondary forests typically have reduced capacity for storing carbon than primary forests.
Deforestation linked to the mining industry occurred in Sumatra, Sulawesi, Mlauku and Kalimantan, according to the analysis.
Indonesia has the world’s largest reserves of nickel — a critical material for electric vehicles, solar panels and other goods needed for the green energy transition. And part of this deforestation can be directly linked to the expansion of Indonesia's nickel industry, said Timer Manurung, director of Auriga Nusantara, a nongovernmental conservation organization based in Indonesia.
Manurung said it's not clear exactly how much of Indonesia deforestation is due to mining. But he called it a “significant driver,” and said the government's rapid development of the country's mining and nickel industry — including more than 20 new smelters to process the nickel ore — is “repeating Indonesia's oil palm and pulpwood mistakes” of increasing deforestation.
But Taylor noted that deforestation done on a massive scale seems to be shrinking, compared to the past.
In the 2010s there was gargantuan oil palm, timber and large-scale plantation expansion across Indonesia. Research in the Nature Climate Change journal found that the deforestation rate doubled to approximately 2 million hectares per year during 2004-2014.
In 2023, primary forest loss in patches greater than 100 hectares made up just 15% of the loss, according to the analysis.
Taylor attributes this lack of large-scale deforestation patches to the reputational risks that companies face if they are found to be razing trees. In recent decades nongovernmental organizations, consumers and governments — including the European Union — have pushed for companies to move away from deforestation practices.
In 2018 Indonesian President Joko Widodo put a three-year freeze on new permits for palm oil plantations. And the rate of deforestation slowed between 2021-2022, according to government data.
But small-scale primary forest loss was still prevalent throughout the country, including within several protected areas such as Tesso Nilo National Park and Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve on the island of Sumatra. Both areas are home to critically endangered animals such as tigers and elephants.
A wetter than usual El Nino — which usually leads to less rainfall and higher temperatures that can cause rapid spread of fires set to clear land for agriculture — contributed to a quieter than expected fire season, Taylor said. So did investments made by the Indonesian government in fire prevention capabilities, as well as efforts to suppress fire by local communities.
During Indonesia's last El Nino in 2015-2016, fires intentionally started to clear land for agriculture rapidly spread, sending haze across Southeast Asia. Several Indonesian provinces declared states of emergencies, respiratory illnesses spiked and thousands of Indonesians had to flee their homes.
“The good news in Indonesia is that the fire prevention measures are much more sophisticated than they were in years past,” said Taylor. “It’s really making a difference.”
A dummy is erected on a swath of land that has been cleared to make way for a corn plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A swath of forest on a hill that has been cleared from trees to make way for a corn plantation is visible in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Saturday, April 20, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A stump of a tree is visible at a swath of land that has been cleared to make way for a corn plantation Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A man uses a motorcycle to transport palm fruit at a plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. Indonesia saw a 27% increase in primary forest loss in 2023, according to an analysis of data shared by World Resources Institute. The tree losses came in protected national parks and in massive swaths of jungle cut down for palm oil and paper plantations and for mining. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
Cows graze at a palm oil plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A man uses a machete to clear land to make way for a corn plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
Men load palm fruit onto a truck at a palm oil plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Indonesia saw a 27% increase in primary forest loss in 2023, according to an analysis of data shared by World Resources Institute. The tree losses came in protected national parks and in massive swaths of jungle cut down for palm oil and paper plantations and for mining. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A hill that has been cleared from trees to make way for a corn plantation is visible in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Saturday, April 20, 2024. From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of new deforestation data. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
NEW YORK (AP) — It wasn't until after a decade in the fold, after his family pleaded with him, after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room, Michael Cohen testified Tuesday, that he finally decided to turn on Donald Trump.
The complicated break led to a 2018 guilty plea to federal charges involving a payment to the porn actor Stormy Daniels to bury her story of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump and to other, unrelated crimes.
And it’s that insider knowledge of shady deals that pushed Manhattan prosecutors to make Cohen the star witness in their case against Trump about that same payment, which they say was an illegal effort to influence the 2016 presidential election.
“To keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family,” Cohen testified Tuesday.
But defense attorneys sought to portray Cohen as motivated by vengeance on his former boss, confronting him on the witness stand with his own profane social media about Trump and wanting to see the former president in handcuffs.
The most stunning moment came outside the courtroom Tuesday, when House Speaker Mike Johnson showed up with Trump, who used his powerful bully pulpit to turn his political party against the rule of law by declaring the trial illegitimate. He and other GOP lawmakers are serving as surrogates while Trump himself remains barred by a gag order in the case following an appeals court ruling Tuesday.
“I do have a lot of surrogates, and they’re speaking very beautifully,” Trump said before court as the group gathered in the background. “And they come ... from all over Washington. And they’re highly respected, and they think this is the greatest scam they’ve ever seen.”
The Republican presidential nominee has pleaded not guilty and denies that any of the encounters took place.
As prosecutors laid out their case, Cohen testified about purposefully mislabeled checks, false receipts and blind loyalty that placed Trump at the center of the scheme. The testimony, somewhat dry for a man who was defined for years by his braggadocio as Trump’s problem-zapper, underscored the prosecution’s foundational argument — that the case isn’t about the spectacle of what Trump was paying for, but rather his effort to illegally cover up those payments.
Cohen has testified in detail about how the former president was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme, and prosecutors believe Cohen’s testimony is critical to their case. But their reliance on a witness with such a checkered past — he was disbarred, went to prison and separately pleaded guilty to lying about a Moscow real estate project on Trump’s behalf — could backfire, especially as Trump’s attorneys continue to cross-examine him.
Blanche spent no time Tuesday asking about the allegations at the center of the trial, instead working to raise doubts about Cohen’s credibility and his motivation for helping prosecutors try to put Trump behind bars.
Amid rapid-fire objections from prosecutors, Blanche probed Cohen’s hyperfocus on Trump, suggesting he's attempted to parlay his insider knowledge into a reduced prison sentence and court supervision for his own crimes, and a new career making millions of dollars criticizing Trump.
Cohen was asked to listen through headphones to a snippet of his podcast, as was Trump while sitting at the defense table. Blanche asked Cohen if he recalled an October 2020 episode in which he said Trump needs to wear handcuffs and that “people will not be satisfied until this man is sitting inside a cell.”
"I wouldn’t put it past me,” Cohen testified.
"Is it fair to say you’re motivated by fame?” Blanche asked.
“No sir, I don’t think that’s fair to say,” Cohen said. “I’m motivated by many things.”
Cohen will be the prosecution's last witness. Trump's defense will begin after Cohen, though it's not clear whether his lawyers will call any witnesses or if Trump will testify in his own defense.
Jurors have already heard how Trump and others in his orbit were reeling after the leak just a few weeks before the 2016 election of an “Access Hollywood” tape in which he bragged about grabbing women by the genitals without their permission. The publication of the tape hastened the payments to Daniels, according to testimony.
Cohen testified that Trump was constantly apprised of the behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign. And after paying out $130,000 to Daniels in order to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter, Trump promised to reimburse him.
Jurors followed along as Hoffinger, in a methodical and clinical fashion, walked Cohen through that reimbursement process. It was an attempt to show what prosecutors say was a lengthy deception to mask the true purpose of the payments.
As jurors were shown business records and other paperwork, Cohen explained their purpose and reiterated again and again that the payments were reimbursements for the hush money — they weren’t for legal services he provided or for a retainer.
It’s an important distinction, because prosecutors allege that the Trump records falsely described the purpose of the payments as legal expenses. These records form the basis of 34 felony counts charging Trump with falsifying business records. All told, Cohen was paid $420,000, with funds drawn from a Trump personal account.
“Were the descriptions on this check stub false?” Hoffinger asked.
“Yes,” Cohen said.
“And again, there was no retainer agreement,” Hoffinger asked.
“Correct,” Cohen replied.
But prosecutors also spent time working to blunt the potential credibility issues, painting Cohen as a longtime Trump loyalist who committed crimes on behalf of the former president. On the witness stand, Cohen described in detail the April 2018 raid that marked the beginning of the end of his time being devoted to Trump.
“How to describe your life being turned upside-down? Concerned. Despondent. Angry,” Cohen told the jury.
“Were you frightened?” Hoffinger asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
But he was heartened by a phone call from Trump that he said gave him reassurance and convinced him to remain “in the camp.”
He said to me, ‘Don’t worry. I’m the president of the United States. There’s nothing here. Everything’s going to be OK. Stay tough. You’re going to be OK,’” Cohen testified.
Cohen, who once boasted that he would “take a bullet” for Trump, told jurors that he “felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me ... And so I remained in the camp.”
It was his wife and family who finally made him see how sticking by Trump was detrimental.
“What are you doing? We’re supposed to be your first loyalty,” Cohen testified. “It was about time to listen to them,” he said.
Throughout Cohen’s testimony Tuesday, Trump reclined in his chair with his eyes closed and head tilted to the side. He occasionally shifted and leaned forward, opening his eyes and talking to his attorney before returning to his recline. Even some of the topics that have animated him the most as he campaigns didn’t stir his attention.
It was a far cry from the scene last October, when the once-fierce allies faced off at Trump’s civil fraud trial and Trump walked out of the courtroom after his lawyer finished questioning Cohen.
“Mr. Cohen, do you have any regrets about your past work for Donald Trump?” Hoffinger asked as she concluded her questioning.
“I do,” Cohen said. “I regret doing things for him that I should not have. Lying. Bullying people to effectuate a goal. I don’t regret working for the Trump Organization. As I expressed before, I had some very interesting, great times."
Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
Former President Donald Trump, standing with defense attorney Todd Blanche, speaks at the conclusion of proceedings for the day at his trial at Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, Pool)
Defense attorney Todd Blanche cross examines Michael Cohen in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. Cohen returned to the witness stand Tuesday, testifying in detail how former president was linked to all aspects of a hush money scheme that prosecutors say was aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media outside Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Mark Peterson/Pool Photo via AP)
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Mark Peterson/Pool Photo via AP)
Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media outside Manhattan criminal court in New York, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)
From left U.S Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Republican Congressman Cory Mills of Florida listen as former President Donald Trump talks with reporters outside Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)
Eric Trump looks on as his father, former President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court in New York, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)
Former President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up as he exits the courtroom during a break at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)
Former President Donald Trump returns to proceedings after a break in his trial at Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, Pool)
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. . (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)
Michael Cohen testifies as a Wall Street Journal article is displayed on a screen in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump's fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen returned to the witness stand Tuesday, testifying in detail how former president was linked to all aspects of a hush money scheme that prosecutors say was aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Michael Cohen, right, leaves his apartment building in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe is returning to the witness stand for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe is returning to the witness stand for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe is returning to the witness stand for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court in New York, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Former President Donald Trump sits in Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Mark Peterson/New York Magazine via AP, Pool)
Former President Donald Trump and lawyer Todd Blanche return to his criminal trial after a short break at Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Sarah Yenesel/Pool Photo via AP)
FILE - Michael Cohen, former attorney to Donald Trump, leaves the District Attorney's office in New York, March 13, 2023. Cohen is prosecutors' most central witness in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial. But Trump's fixer-turned-foe is also as challenging a star witness as they come. The now-disbarred lawyer has a tortured history with Trump. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
Former President Donald Trump reacts as Michael Cohen testified that he told Trump that the Stormy Daniels story was not contained. in Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Michael Cohen, left, testifies on the witness stand in Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Assistant district attorney Susan Hoffinger, center, questions witness Michael Cohen, far right, as Donald Trump, far left, looks on in Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Michael Cohen testifies on the witness stand with a National Enquirer cover story about Donald Trump displayed on a screen in Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
