COMMODITIES - Cutting to the real root of the problem

Indonesia's forests are thinning at the fastest rate in the world, but proposals to establish a multi-billion-dollar market in carbon trading could finally provide a real incentive for the industry to lay down its chainsaws. The prospect of the archipelago as a conservation powerhouse is an enticing one, but there are many challenges to surmount if the plans are to be more than just a political pipe dream. Lisa Murray chops the facts down to size.