Before I stepped into the small garden that had been carved out at the edge of the tropical jungle, “Ruth” put her hand up to stop me.  She needed to ask the ancestors of the land for permission to bring me there. Papuans hold special respect for their ancestors, so permission was necessary. They also hold special respect for future generations, which “Ruth” simply referred to as “the next.”

“Ruth” showed me native plants she is working to preserve before they go extinct, victims of deforestation.  Eventually, I broached the idea of me going further into the jungle to see what was really going on. She looked me squarely in the eyes,  “Just don’t let them see you taking photos or asking questions. They [private armed thugs hired by a corrupt local politician] can do whatever they want if they find you.”

 

The forests of the Island of New Guinea comprise one of three of the last remaining “lungs” of the planet.  They contain the largest swaths of entact rainforest on the planet and they store higher amounts of carbon than other forests.  Keeping these forests intacted is critical to help mitigate climate change because they sequester carbon and help reduce greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.  Large swaths are being wiped out to be sold as cheap timber on the world market and the land is cleared for industrial agriculture – much of it for palm oil.

 

Even with many warnings, the risks seemed worth the adventure because the health of the planet – and everyone on it – is intrinsically linked to this island.  Its forests contain seven percent of the world’s biodiversity and the ocean touts the highest marine biodiversity on the planet. It is an important place that is changing forever but at unknown long-term costs to locals and the world. I wanted to understand what was happening firsthand.