Batang Anti-Coal Campaign
As a mark of solidarity, Greenpeace Indonesia supported the direct action taken by the Batang Anti Coal Community to demand for the cancellation of construction of a coal-fired power plant in Batang. If built, the proposed Batang Coal Power Plant is expected to be one of the largest in Southeast Asia, with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts, and is expected to pump 10.8 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, or greater than the entire emissions of Myanmar in 2009. The plant is part of a mega-infrastructure project called Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI).
The 700 plus people who took part in a march were clear in their message, that coal kills our future, and made their demand to the deputy head of the MP3EI at his office. The head of the MP3EI and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Hatta Rajasa who was not in, is the person who has the authority to decide on the construction of the plant. The action that started at 8am at the YLBHI (Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation) office ended at 1pm. – Batang, Jawa Tengah.
As a mark of solidarity, Greenpeace Indonesia supported the direct action taken by the Batang Anti Coal Community to demand for the cancellation of construction of a coal-fired power plant in Batang.Though I am not sure who’s responsible for the Grim Reeper! photo: Ardiles Rante/Greenpeace
If built, the coal power plant would end up spewing out 10.8 million tonnes of Carbon! That’s more than the annual carbon emissions of Brunei and about the same as the annual emissions of Mongolia! photo: Ardiles Rante/Greenpeace
The protest was aimed at getting the attention of Hatta Rajasa, the head of the Mega project it is planning to power. Though the big boss conveniently wasn’t around at the time, the protestors managed to meet with his deputy, and also facilitated a meeting between him and hundreds of Batang people in front of the office.
photo: Ardiles Rante/Greenpeace
The plant is part of a mega-infrastructure project called Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI). According to our friends on the front lines, Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI). This mega project is being the biggest threat for Indonesia’s environment. photo: Ardiles Rante/Greenpeace
This image speaks for itself.
photo: Ardiles Rante/Greenpeace
The SEAREPA 2012 Video is Now Live!
The SEAREPA 2012 was the inaugural gathering of clean energy activists, practitioners, academics, businessmen and government officials from all over the region. It was one of the most diverse groupings of people who converged and discussed the topic of energy, and what the development of vital energy resources meant for our region. Check it out:
Video produced by Nathaniel Wynn, music by Zoe Keating:
SEAREPA 2012 Sabah from N. S. Wynn on Vimeo.
[http://vimeo.com/60162166]
Bio Bemo Hits the Road in Indonesia
The first road test of the Bio Bemo in Jakarta. The project tries to offer an alternative solution to the marginalized bemo drivers in the polluted capital city.
The bemo is a common means of public transportation in Indonesian towns and cities.
SEAREPA- Programme
This programme has been developed by three world class facilitators from all over the region and LEAP Executive Director Cynthia Ong. The facilitators and the SEAREPA coordination team have been hard at work using the feedback that you have provided us with in order to make the SEAREPA process as enriching as possible.
Allow me to introduce the facilitators: we have Carmela Ariza from the Philippines, Christopher Tomich from Malaysia/Australia, and Chris Rosado from Indonesia. Between the three of them, they have decades of experience facilitating big organizational developments and projects with a range of clients, ranging from governments and large companies to conference meetings and non-profits. They will be guiding the discussion process at the Assembly using a method known as Open Space Technology (OST). Information on how OST works can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-space_technology and in further detail at http://www.openspaceworld.org/ .
Please refer to the following programme for how this will proceed -you may be unfamiliar with the way that this process will unfold, but remember that we have been working on building SEAREPA to be something very different from your traditional conference. Indeed, the idea for SEAREPA came about as a result of our taking notice that many renewable energy/climate conferences have been relatively ineffective at actually accomplishing anything, especially in addressing the needs of some of the most key stakeholders.
All this being said, the facilitators are only guides, and what SEAREPA will be able to accomplish will depend on your involvement and engagement. We will not ask you to prepare power-points and formal presentations of your work (though you can if you want to). We do ask that you come prepared with ideas, key questions and stories that do justice to the work that you do and the people or places that you do your work for.
Day one – Oct 29
- Arrivals throughout the day
Day two – Oct 30
- Gather and welcome
- Opening ritual along canopy walkway in trees
- Opening Story by Sabah
- Introduction of organizing and facilitating team
- Time line with Southeast Asia map – share a pivotal point/story in the history of your region related to renewable energy; begins to map out local, national, regional and international stories
- Sharing of insights, reflections, summaries from time line
- Introduction of Open Space Technology (OST)
- OST session to establish issues/topics to be addressed in small group discussions
- Round one – small group discussions
- Viewing of outputs
- Wrap up for the day
- Renewable Energy Technical Workshops/ Side Events
- Renewable Energy Technical Workshops/ Side Events
Day three – Oct 31
- Day starter
- Brief orientation of the day
- Round two
- Viewing of outputs
- Round three
- Viewing of outputs
- Wrap up for the day
- Evening film screenings
- Renewable Energy Technical Workshops/ Side Events
- Renewable Energy Technical Workshops/ Side Events
Day four – Nov 1
- Day starter
- Alliance (action/projects) market place
- Discussion sessions
- Declaration of partnerships and goals
- Next steps for SEAREPA – the future
- Closing ritual
- Celebration/farewell evening
- Renewable Energy Technical Workshops/ Side Events
- Renewable Energy Technical Workshops/ Side Events
Day five – Nov 2
- Renewable energy technology workshops/departures
Best,
-Gabriel S.W. Wynn
SEAREPA- An Updated List of Participating Organizations
Burma/Myanmar
1. Renewable Energy Association Myanmar (REAM)
2. Mekong Energy and Ecology Network (MEE NET)
3. The Southern Social Development Network
India
4. Orissa Micro-hydro Network
5. Energia
Indonesia
6. PT Entec
7. Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI)
8. Institut Bisnis dan Ekonomi Kerakyatan (IBEKA)
9. Jaringan Kerja Tungku Indonesia (JKTI)/ Yayasan Dia Desa
10. Yayasan Riak Bumi
11. Green Peace Indonesia
12. PT HEKSA Hydro
Lao PDR
13. Rural Income through Sustainable Energy Project (RISE)/Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation
14. Lao Institute for Renewable Energy (LIRE)
15. The Coalition for Lao Information, Communication and Knowledge (CLICK)
Malaysia
16. Land, Empowerment, Animals, People (LEAP)
17. Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS- Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia)
18. PACOS (Partners of Community Organizations) Trust
19. Tobpinai Ningkokoton Koburuon Kampung (TONIBUNG Renewables)
20. Sustainable Energy Development Sabah Electricity Sdn. Bhd. (SESB)
21. Penampang Renewable Energy, Sdn. Bhd.
22. Era Wira, Sdn. Bhd.
23. Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
24. HUTAN Kinabatangan Conservation Programme
25. SEE Performance Group, Sdn. Bhd.
26. Sabah Forestry Department
27. Sustainable Energy Development Authority/Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water
28. Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC Sabah)
29. Model Ecologically Sustainable Community-based Conservation and Tourism (MESCOT)
30. Project Women, Empowerment, Trees (PWET)
31. SAVE Rivers Sarawak
32. Science of Life Studies (SOLS 24/7)
33. Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA) Malaysia
34. The Borneo Project
35. 350.org
36. Borneo Youth Revolution (BYR)
Philippines
37. Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI)
38. Sibol Ng Agham at Teknolohiya (SIBAT)
39. Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc.
40. De La Salle University
Thailand
41. Pook Huk Group
United States
42. Green Empowerment
43. Pacific Environment
44. World Resources Institute, Washington DC
45. Energy Resources Group (ERG), UC Berkeley
46. Renewable and Appropriate Technology Laboratory (RAEL)
47. International Accountability Project (IAP)
48. Coal Swarm Energy Resource Mapping Project
49. TONIIC Impact Investment
Vietnam
50. Mekong Delta Development Research Institute
51. Mekong Delta Youth Voice Network
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International/Regional
52. Peace and Conflict Journalism Network
53. Engage Media
SEAREPA- Logistics
It is now October, and the team here in Borneo are both excited and hard at work in doing our part to make the Southeast Asia Renewable Energy Peoples’ Assembly a success. We are happy to announce that we will have over 50 organizations in attendance at SEAREPA from Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Indonesia, as well as from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the United States.
We will have vans scheduled to pick up participants at the Sandakan airport. One or two vans will be standing by after every Air Asia and MAS arrival to take participants to the venue. The SEAREPA venue, the Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC), is less than half an hour from the Sandakan airport. Should you somehow miss the van, taxis all know where the RDC is.
We are happy to provide assistance to you in the form of food, accommodations and transport, but you must communicate with us. If you are organizing your own travel schedules, and would like to request support for accommodations and ground transport, please notify us of your itineraries by no later than Thursday, October 11th.
Ground staff will be on-hand to register you and your organizations, collect registration fees, hand out information packets, and assign you to rooms at the hotel.
Tables/booths, workshops and side events
Tables/booths will also be available for your organizations. You will have the option of reserving a (roughly) 3 by 5 ft. space to set up posters, e-mail sign up sheets, brochures and things of that nature.
Tables/booths will also be available for your organizations. You will have the option of reserving a (roughly) 3 by 5 ft. space to set up posters, e-mail sign up sheets, brochures and things of that nature.
Tech-enthusiasts- We will have a space set up exclusively for tech demonstrations and introductory training. Some examples: a small pico-hydro system, gasifiers, ram-pumps, solar lamps, cookstoves.
Please arrange with us prior to the conference date (no later than October 15th) if you would like to reserve a table, set up a tech demonstration or host your own side event. Thank you to those who have done this already and for giving us the extra time to prepare.
For participants who have been approved for travel support funding:
For participants receiving support to attend SEAREPA
If you have been approved for travel support funding, then you can consider yourself confirmed for food and accommodations in Sandakan.
If you have been approved for travel support funding, then you can consider yourself confirmed for food and accommodations in Sandakan.
By now we have booked most of the tickets for air travel. We are waiting on a few of you who are still standing by for passport renewals and visa issuance. Please provide these details to us as soon as you are able so we can proceed with ticket confirmation.
Ground staff at the event will be arranging for re-compensation of some of the costs we agreed that we would support (ground travel to airports in your country, nights at hostels, etc.). If this applies to you, please bring receipts to the venue so that we can reimburse you. With a few exceptions, we have agreed on a $30 per day maximum for over night stays in transit cities.
As always, please feel free to let us know if you have questions or any input at all at admin@searepa.com. We have received comments from a good number of you about what you would like to bring to/get from SEAREPA. This kind of participation has helped and will continue to help the assembly facilitators and myself guide the event to address your needs and interests.
Yours in solidarity,
Gabriel S. Wynn
SEAREPA Program Coordinator
Lao Institute for Renewable Energy (LIRE): SEAREPA Practitioner Profile
The Lao Institute for Renewable Energy
The Lao Institute for Renewable Energy (LIRE) is one of the longest established and perhaps the largest Lao Renewable Energy and natural resource use Institute. Since 2006 LIRE has been at the forefront of community-lead renewable energy technology in Lao PDR, and in the past 3 years alone has produced more than 45 research reports for over 21 different clients including UN FAO, Ministry of Energy and Mines Lao PDR, EEP Mekong, to name just a few of our partners.
Some of their current research themes are:
• Sustainable production and Sustainable consumption of energy
• Integration of energy into the food-water-energy security Nexus
• Decentralised waste water treatment
• Development of Lao appropriate Bio-energyoptions, such as locally produced Biodiesel from waste cooking oil and food security neutral
• Decentralized/off-grid electricity systems such as Improved Pico Hydro (IPV)
• Climate compatible development, including CDM and national GHG emissions management
• Community integrated sustainable biomass/ biochar production
• Urban Supplied Energy (USE); ways to realise the substantial energy production potential of urban areas, such as through waste-to-energy
systems and urban solar systems
• Low-emissions/zero emissions urban development
In supporting the development of this sector, LIRE continues to strengthen local Lao capacity in a viable and socially inclusive way.
