How Liberia plans to halve the cost of electricity

Renewable energy sources are in the news. So, on the face of it the headlines reporting ‘Liberia Converting Old Rubber Trees to Electricity‘ and claims that this will halve the electricity cost to Liberians sounds like good news. But is is all it seems? Read on.

About rubber in Liberia

Rubber is the main cash crop in Liberia. The industry has a long history in Liberia dating from 1926 when Firestone leased 1600 square miles of Liberian jungle to begin natural rubber industry development to service the growing demand for rubber.  Today, the 200 square mile rubber tree plantation run by Firestone near Monrovia is the world’s largest natural rubber operation with 8 million rubber trees.  You can read about the history of rubber in Liberia HERE and HERE and find a BBC photo essay about rubber production in Liberia HERE

The 14 years of civil war in Liberia left the country in tatters and the rubber industry is now once again being seen as a saviour of the country. However, this is not without controversy though and in 2006 Firestone was accused of  profiting from illegal rubber-tapping and there have been pollution claims by communities near the plantation. A recent three month investigation by the Liberian government into pollution by Firestone found them responsible for high levels of orthophosphate in creeks which are a water-source for tens of thousands of villagers. (BBC NEWS, 29th Oct 2009)

The Stop Firestone campaign claim that

• Firestone is still exploiting children: The rubber tappers must meet a daily production quota or their already low wages will be halved. By Firestone Natural Rubber Company CEO Dan Adomitis’ own admission on CNN, it would take over 21 hours to meet the quota. As a result, tappers are forced to bring their children and wives to work. Children are forced to carry two 70 pound buckets of rubber on their shoulders for miles. Tappers and their children must apply toxic pesticides without protection.
• Firestone’s workers live in primitive conditions: Firestone workers in Liberia live in cramped shacks which have not been renovated since the 1920s and lack electricity, running water and indoor latrines. Meanwhile, Firestone managers have huge houses with all modern conveniences and even golf courses!
• All rubber produced in Liberia is sent to the USA: In 2005, Firestone signed a new 37-year agreement with a transitional government in Liberia to lease the land for 50 cents per acre. All rubber produced in Liberia is sent to the United States for processing into tires and no processing or manufacturing is done in Liberia.

The cases against Firestone are being taken to the UN. Here is “Human Rights in Liberia’s Rubber Plantations” by the UN Mission in Liberia, May 2006. It makes interesting reading.

Converting rubber trees to electricity

A by-product of rubber production is old non-producing rubber trees. Trees are planted on a 30 year cycle. Old trees can be re-cycled as ‘Hevea’ wood, commonly known as rubberwood, which is used in the manufacture of furniture, flooring, interior finishing, plywood, paneling, chopping blocks and staircase components.

The latest idea is to use rubberwood woodchips to power a biomass converter to produce electricity which the Liberian Electric Company says it will sell to the people for half the cost they are paying now.

Given Firestone’s track record in Liberia I wonder if this will benefit their workers who live in shacks without electricity and sanitation.

Books

Culture and Customs of Liberia (Culture and Customs of Africa)
Liberia

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