Nuclear Technologies in Global Warming: ssessing the Greenhouse Gas Effects Caused by uge Biofuel Production in Indonesia

摘要

Indonesia has developed a huge oil palm (OP) plantation industry and contribution to global warming is unavoidable. Being the country the largest OP production and the highest annual deforestation Indonesia could contribute significantly to increasinggreen-gas (GHG) emissions and exacerbate global warming. Oil palm production obviously puts heavy pressure on ecological processes such as land use, GHG balances, regional water and nutrient bal-nces, erosion and biodiversity. A comprehensive understanding and proper assessment of the ecological changes arising from OP oduction are essential to ensure that OP cultivation has positive d sustainable impacts on climate. Measurements using stable isotopes of hydrogen (H), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (0), and sulphur (S) and their ratios at natural abundances in the environment n address such large-scale ecological changes, detect the impacts an early stage, assist in mitigation and give essential information lat needs to be considered by government in formulating national liofuel policies. Studies of individual components of ecosystem C wgetsand their environmental control can improve understanding ecosystem function and its potential response to climate change, easurement and analysis of C isotoperatios of leaf and atmospheric rbon dioxide (CO2) samples can provide integrated information lout important plant physiological characteristics spatially and mporally, such as variation in C isotope discrimination in natural forest, OP monoculture and pasture or other agricultural practices. Further, employing an approach using multiple isotopes to assess simultaneously the ratios of deuterium:hydrogen (D:H), oxygen-faygen-16 (180:160) and/or carbon-13:carbon-12 (~(13)Cs:12C) in different compounds, andthe delta hydrogen-2 (62H) and delta oxygen-18 (6I80) of water (H20), the delta carbon-13 (6~(13)Cs) and delta nitrogen-15 (615N) values of dissolved compounds in stream discharge from watersheds and in the tissues of organisms provide a unique means toinvestigate the coupling of H2O and C fluxes at various temporal and spatial scales, and to develop sustainable land-water management practices. Water scarcity is the key limiting factor for OP production in many contexts. Major allocations of water forOP production have the greatest impact on local water resource balances, disturbing stream flows and availability of fresh water. In addition, there will be loss of biodiversity and food-fuel ipetition as a result of PO development. Lastly, eliminationofcompetinatural food by land-use change will harm food security and increase food prices. Developing an isotope monitoring network and spatial modelling based on isotopic measurements of atmospheric inputs, ecosystem outputs, changes between inputs and outputs within ecosystems and sentinel organisms as integrators and indicators of ecological change are very usefull to detect and understand ecological changes at a continental scale. Understanding the underlying or indirect causes of deforestation and the development of an isotope monitoring network are crucial for informing environmental policy makers in Indonesia about managing efforts for mitigation to cope with the global climate change within the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation(REDD) scheme in which Indonesia has pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 41 percent by 2020. Employment of nuclear isotopic techniques (NITs) in Indonesia could contribute greatly to better conservation of forest, agricultural and peat land resources through improving soil and water conservation practicesand reducing GHG emissions.