Asia Seeks Alternatives to Oil Power as Prices Soar

From bananas to wind farms, alcohol and the sun, the search for alternative energy sources has taken on a new urgency as oil prices hit record levels. Ideas once seen as the preserve of fringe environmental groups are getting more attention, but flicking most switches in cars, homes or industries in Asia still means tapping into fossil fuels.

Some countries, such as Japan and South Korea, have launched major drives to move away from traditional power sources, but the percentage of energy produced remains small apart from the controversial nuclear option. Oil, almost all of it imported, accounts for 52 percent of Japan
The News International, Pakistan