Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America. I'm Katie Weaver.

And I'm Mario Ritter Jr. This program is designed for English learners, so we speak a little slower,

and we use words and phrases, especially written, for people learning English.

Coming up today, stories from Mario and me. Later, John Russell and Anameteo bring us the technology report.

And we close the show with The Lesson of the Day. Here's Mario.

Indonesia has the world's largest known supply of nickel and major supplies of valuable minerals, including cobalt and boxite.

However, the mining industry there is being criticized for not protecting the environment and some

Indonesian island people. The Southeast Asian country is involved in mining that produces

materials important to the manufacture of stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries, among other things.

Indonesia is aiming to expand its mining and processing industries,

but the development could face opposition from international and local groups.

Nickel processing centers are becoming more common in parts of Indonesia. Sometimes the plants are near

the sea, where many boats line up to carry ore a mineral combination that contains nickel

sometimes these plants are near schools or places where local people fish or farm. The World Resources Institute, based in Washington,

D.C., says from 2001 to 2020, 1.4 million hectares of trees were cut down around the world.

Indonesia is estimated to have had the highest loss.

Amanda Hurowitz is a director with Mighty Earth.

The environmental group is also based in Washington, D.C. Hurwitz said that,

on the island of Kabayana, mining companies have cleared 3,700 hectares of forest in the last twenty-two years fishermen who used to fish off the island have said the waters are filled with sediment from the mines

people in farming communities also say they are affected they say sugar cane sugar palms and clove trees do not grow well any more

amal susanto is a sugar palm farmer.

He said, that's the effect.

...