Government told to switch from coal to cleaner energy

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon | Fri, 07/09/2010 10:36 AM

International environment group Greenpeace has urged the Indonesian government to immediately stop using coal as an energy source for industry and power generation due to its detrimental impacts on the environment and people’s health and welfare.

Southeast Asia Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Arif Fiyanto said that coal also exacerbated the impacts of climate change.

“We have to push for the use of alternative energies, which are cleaner and renewable to replace coal and other fossil fuels,” Arif Fiyanto recently told The Jakarta Post in Cirebon, West Java.

Greenpeace was in Cirebon from July 3 to 5 as part of its activities to establish the Anti-coal Asian Community Network and campaigning for clean and renewable energy. The campaign was jointly supported by Cirebon’s Kanoman sultanate palace and a local environment group.

The police later dispersed the campaign and detained 15 of its activists, including 13 foreign nationals, for questioning before they were deported by the immigration office, which cited visa violations.

The activists come from China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

Arif said that coal use should be immediately stopped to prevent huge losses in the future.

The biggest actual threat experienced by the Indonesian and international communities is climate change and global warming from the impacts of unclean energy use, such as coal. One negative impact on the socio-economic living of communities in East Kalimantan and Cirebon, West Java, is from excessive coal use and mining.

“There is proof that coal use has not contributed to people’s socio-economic standing. In East Kalimantan and Cirebon, people’s welfare has instead worsened since the presence of coal mines and coal power stations, as many people have lost their sources of livelihood,” said Arif.

“The government should instead immediately stop using coal and replace it with alternative cleaner energy sources.”

He said it would not be difficult for Indonesia to replace unclean energy sources.

“Potential energy sources, such as the sun, wind, waves and geothermal are abundant, but have not been exploited,” said Arif, adding that the clean energy sources could produce energy with economic value.

“Indonesia has the world’s biggest geothermal reserves, 40 percent of the global supply. Geothermal energy would have high economic value if it is exploited well,” Arif said. 

In order to switch to cleaner and renewable energy, he said the government needed strong political will.