So, some Indonesian official has suggested that Malaysia should pay for the oxygen that Indonesia “export” to Malaysia. It’s one of the same nonsensical remarks Indonesia gave last year instead of actually working with others to fight the fire that causes the haze. Well, I want to offer some scientific fact to that Indonesian official.
Mature forest is oxygen neutral. The Indonesian rainforest as well as Malaysia’s consume oxygen through respiration as much as it produces oxygen through photosysthesis. That basically means mature forest produces zero net oxygen.
Only growing forest produces positive net oxygen; in general, Southeast Asia has mature forest.
Given the net zero, if Indonesia exports oxygen, then Indonesia has to import oxygen in order to balance out its “account”. Therefore, if Indonesia wants to internalize the public good (oxygen) and demands Malaysia pays for the oxygen we allegedly get from Indonesian rainforest, the Indonesia must pay for oxygen they get from Malaysian rainforest.
For further reading on zero net oxygen, please read an article at Wikipedia. In particular, Wikipedia cited Wallace S. Broecker of Columbia. Also, for some math, see oxygen cycle at Wikipedia.
So dear sir, you may want to learn a bit of undergraduate biology (frankly, it’s just general knowledge) before making any statement with too much cheekiness.
One reply on “[905] Of mature forest produces zero net oxygen”
The so call “oxygen fees” stupid episode are start by no other, but by our dearest Tun Dr Mahathir.
Algae produce most of the oxygen on earth.