Indonesia's President: Food, energy security may spark conflict

[Turborama]

Source: Jakarta Post

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warns that food, energy and water security issues have the potential to spark conflict in the future, replacing ideological, religious and territorial motives.

He said here Wednesday that the world’s population of 6.6 billion people, which continually increases, will lead to a growing demand for food, water and energy.

“People will consume more and demand will increase,” Yudhoyono said. “The middle-class will keep growing and with its lavish lifestyle, it will need more resources. I’m concerned,” he said. “If the world fails to prevent the possibility of interest clashes in the search and control over food, energy and water resources, these aspects will become new sources of global conflict and prompt wars.”

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Chang Youngho of Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, a speaker at the seminar, said it was necessary to develop regional cooperation to address energy security issues in Asia. He said Asia faced challenges concerning the decreasing supply capacity of fossil fuel compared to growing energy demand. He also said countries in the region should fully cooperate to utilize their potential to use renewable energy resources to address the issue.

Read more: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/18/food-energy-security-may-spark-conflict.html

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In related news...

GE Tells Obama ‘Sell Hard’ in Indonesia With China in Pursuit

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Indonesia was Asia’s third-fastest growing economy behind China and India last year. The government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono plans to spend $17.3 billion to meet power demand by adding 10,000 megawatts of capacity -- equivalent to 10 nuclear plants -- with more than half coming from cleaner sources including geothermal energy.

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“In a time when millions of Americans are out of work, boosting our exports is a short-term imperative,” Obama said last week at the annual meeting of the U.S. Export-Import Bank in Washington.

Speaking at the same conference, Immelt faulted the U.S. government for being too “timid” on selling exports. He urged Obama to push the company’s freight locomotives, telling him to “sell hard.”

GE is involved in projects in Indonesia ranging from geothermal plants to turning landfill waste to energy, said Gatot Prawiro, GE Energy’s power & water growth director for the country. Indonesia’s demand for power has outpaced generation by 8 percent a year for the past decade, Prawiro said in an e-mail, citing the state power utility.

Full article: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-17/ge-tells-obama-sell-hard-in-indonesia-with-china-in-pursuit.html

Also posted here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x236938

[arbusto_baboso]

1. Well, that's pretty obvious. Wonder why we don't hear western leaders talking about stuff like this

Curious, isn't it?

[ShockediSay]

2. Is Obama supposed to be failed {look at stock prices and dividends} GE's

salesman, whose supposed to go out there and 'sell hard.' Or is that GE's job with the support of 'big government.'

There was at least one year when GE pulled in more money than sand on a beach and didn't pay a nickel in taxes because of the way GE manipulated the Investment Tax Credit.

Maybe if GE and its executives pay their fair share of taxes, they'd have more federal support.

And maybe they'd have more support if they weren't outsourcing so many jobs to foreign countries.

You go out and sell, Mr. Immelt, and pay your taxes while you're at it.

[msongs]

3. ummm the solution is simple, stop having so many babies nt