The program, which critics say is largely symbolic, is part of a nationwide “re-greening” initiative launched by President Yudhoyono at the Bali Conference last November when million of trees were planted across the country. Deforestation has long been a major problem in the country, the result of illegal logging, mining, new oil palm plantations, and slash-and-burn land clearing. 

Note also that six of the seven justices are Republicans and that Governor Schwarzenegger has come out against the proposed ballot initiative currently being certified for the November ballot. Some pundits have attributed Bush’s 2004 re-election to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s directive to issue seme-sex marriage licenses (which is what prompted this litigation in the first place). All of this will make for an interesting time come November, and may once again put California in play for the Republicans, or at the very least make the Democrats spend more money and resources in California protecting what would otherwise be a safely blue state.