LABAN NYARIT, Indonesia — Ipu Angit’s close relationship with the forest here in the interior of Borneo is evident as he identifies the plants and trees he uses to meet his daily needs, venturing deeper in despite the hot, humid weather and his advanced age. One moment he deftly fashions a makeshift umbrella out of palm leaves. The next he points out some young rattan stems, which he often prepares to eat by boiling to reduce the bitterness and then either cooking them with turmeric or eating them raw. Lately, however, Ipu has been clouded by anxiety: the rainforest he calls home appears set to be demolished for wood pellet production by a coal company seeking to pivot to “green” energy. “If this forest disappeared, where would we find these things?” Ipu asks. “This is what keeps the Punan people alive.” Spear in hand, Ipu Angit traverses the forest near his home, which falls within a biomass plantation concession held by PT Malinau Hijau Lestari. Image by Nanang Sujana for Mongabay. Ipu’s home village of Laban Nyarit in Malinau district, North Kalimantan. Image by Nanang Sujana for Mongabay. Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most-populous country and a top greenhouse gas emitter, with nearly half its energy coming from coal. As the nation strives to make good on its pledges to cut fossil fuels, President Joko Widodo has promoted biomass energy, derived from burning plant and animal products, as a sustainable alternative. His administration, whose term came to an end on Oct.…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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