Innovations in Emerging Markets points out this story from the Economist about bio-fuels becoming more popular in Southeast Asia. The above picture is one I took of a bio-gas generator in rural Sri Lanka which burns gliricidia and gives the village of about 40 houses electricity for over 12 hours a day, mainly to run lightbulbs and other small appliances. Most also had radios, and some television sets. This from the Economist:

The fruit of the oil-palm tree, Elaeis guineensis, is wonderfully versatile. Oil squeezed from it goes into everything from biscuits to shampoo. Surging global demand has led Malaysia and Indonesia, which produce most of the world's palm oil, to plant ever greater areas (see chart), reducing the acreage of other plantation crops such as rubber and cocoa....

Innovations in Emerging Markets goes on to say about the possible problems of palm oil, which the Economist mainly focuses on:

Two drawbacks: the time it takes for oil palms to grow fruit and, that as the price of palm oil goes up, food and other cooking oils become more expensive for the poor.

In other environmental news:

*ADB launches student essay competition on Asia's future.

*Fractured Earth looks at Indian environmentalism.