“Don’t leave RI in the dark ages of coal”, 15 Aug 2015

Kiribati…President...is calling on all nations to abandon all new coal mines and coal mine expansions...President Tong and his people…know first hand that climate change is not just an environmental crisis — it’s also a human rights disaster. Yet as their neighbor, Indonesia is the biggest exporter of thermal coal (rivaled only by Australia)…With over 18,000 islands Indonesia is also among the most vulnerable to climate change from sea level rises, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events. Our addiction to coal is also having terrible health impact on our population. Existing coal plants in Indonesia cause an estimated 7,100 premature deaths every year according to research by Harvard University and Greenpeace Southeast Asia. And this number could climb to over 28,000 per year if the Indonesian government goes ahead with an ambitious rollout of more than one hundred new coal-fired power plants…The international divestment movement…will make finding finance for coal increasingly difficult…We need regulations that encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses to take up solar energy, and encourage investment into renewable energy sources in Indonesia…