Indonesia is pursuing the worst form of solar power
A hectare of land covered by solar panels can power roughly 100 times as many vehicles as the same area planted with oil palm. PHOTO: REUTERS
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.
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