Minister calls for alternatif energy

Minister calls for alternatif energy

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister for Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja said yesterday Indonesia should never stop seeking
alternative sources of energy to ensure sustainable development.

Indonesia should reduce its dependency on fossil fuel, Sarwono
said at the opening session of a three-day seminar titled
Observing Indonesia's Sustainable Development Facing the 21st
Century.

Within three to four years, Sarwono predicted, the world would
have no other choice but start thinking about alternative energy
sources because fossil fuel was running out.

"Sources of alternative energy abound, including solar, wind,
and possibly even nuclear," Sarwono said. He did not say nuclear
energy was a high priority.

The controversial bill on nuclear energy is currently under
deliberation at the House of Representatives. Critics say that if
passed, the bill would endorse the building of Indonesia's first
nuclear power plant in Central Java.

A persisting problem linked to environmental degradation was
the public's lack of awareness about environmental issues,
Sarwono said.

"Including environment in the school curriculum and improving
law enforcement will better this," he said.

Emil Salim, former State Minister for Environment, seconded
Sarwono's opinion saying sustainable development should no longer
be considered an empty slogan.

"Sustainable development specifically focuses on environmental
concerns because it relates to trade and businesses that can no
longer viewed as isolated sectors," Emil said.

To cope with the inevitable global environmental challenges,
Indonesia must have a vision of sustainable development because
the country was predicted to have 220 million people by the year
2014, he said.

"This means economics and ecology can no longer be viewed as
separate entities," said Emil, also a lecturer at the University
of Indonesia's School of Economics.

A holistic ideological, political, economic, social and
cultural approach was necessary to implement the vision, he
argued.

Other speaker on the first day were Surna Djajadiningrat from
the office of the State Ministry for the Environment, academics
Riga Adiwoso and Darmanto Yatman, P.M. Laksono, Tini Hadad from
the Indonesian Consumers Protection Foundation.

The conference was held by the State Ministry for the
Environment and the National Consortium for Forest and Nature
Conservation in Indonesia. (06)