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Indonesia is pursuing the worst form of solar power
Biofuel mandates are boosting the use of palm oil. Going electric would be a better solution.
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The justification is that palm oil helps to end dependence on imported diesel, while providing useful income for the country’s 2.6 million smallholder farmers.
PHOTO: AFP
David Fickling
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While the rest of the planet is catching on to the realities of energy, Indonesia is pursuing the most inefficient form of solar power – one that uses millions of hectares of land, is plagued by volatile supplies and hides a dark legacy of environmental destruction behind its renewable image.
We’re talking about palm oil. The red grease is ultimately solar energy, soaked up by trees and converted into fatty fruit that can be crushed and refined into biodiesel. For all the angst about palm oil in cosmetics or confectionery, and its effect on endangered orang utan and tiger populations, by far the biggest use is as Indonesian fuel
