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Papua New Guinea has been accused of going from "eco hero" at Bali to "eco
zero" by allowing the felling of a large area of rainforest on a remote island
for a palm oil plantation.
The accusation came as satellite images showed that 12 per cent of the forest in
part of Papua New Guinea, known as one of the world's wildlife hotspots, was
felled between 1989 and 2000.
The felling of forest on the island of New Britain badly affected 21 bird
species, including 16 found nowhere else in the world such as the slaty-mantled
sparrowhawk, New Britain bronzewing and black honey-buzzard, according to the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Papua New Guinea won applause from delegates of more than 180 countries at the
climate talks in Bali when its Harvard-educated delegate, Kevin Conrad, told the
United States: "If you are not willing to lead, then get out of the way."
Mr Conrad was a ...