Dear Group Members,

    Few years back Dr. Kalam visited to Sunderkera Jatropha plantation
and declared Jatropha as boon for India.

I am visiting this plantation almost every month. Month by month its
condition is deteriorating. This Monday I found shocking scene. Please
see these pictures

http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO3096&res=640

http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO3088&res=640

http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO3098&res=640


Jatropha Plants died in large number due to insects, diseases, poor
growth, cattle etc. Authorities have collected dead plants and now
trying to replant new plants in this barren land. This plantation is
under promotion as model plantation around the world. Its worst
condition clearly shows the bad performance of Jatropha.

Few months back

http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1600&res=640

Now

http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO3130&res=640

The private companies who harvested the real benefit by selling
planting material and techniques are waiting for election. After it
they will start new show with new government.

Through this group I would like to invite Dr. Kalam to visit again and
see the ground level realities before promoting poisonous Jatropha.


regards

Pankaj Oudhia

Aviation issue stirs up anger

Sep 26 2008 Evening Gazette

BRITAIN has infuriated its European partners by lobbying for aviation
to be removed from renewable energy targets, it emerged today.

But Christine Ourmieres, Air France KLM general manager said the
carrier remained committed to converting its fleet to biofuels as soon
as the technology became available.

On a visit to Durham Tees Valley Airport yesterday she announced the
airline had signed a charter with nine others to speed up conversion
with initial biofuel research focused on jatropha curcas and seaweed .

http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news/2008/09/26/aviati\
on-issue-stirs-up-anger-51140-21907167/

Rachelle; Mar’s challenges

By Job Tabada
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 13:18:00 09/26/2008

Somewhere in this area is a huge jatropha (tuba-tuba) plantation. Rice
farmers have reportedly been showing their indignation over the
destruction of rice farms and their displacement from the place, which
is now planted to tuba-tuba. Landowners have been lured by the
government’s biofuel program, which seeks to lessen the country’s
dependence on fossil fuel. Worldwide, experts see the biofuel program
as a “miscalculation” that negatively affects food production.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/opinion/view/20080926-163079/Rach\
elle-Mars-challenges

For this Hindi Article by Umashankar Mishra, please visit

http://ujjas.blogspot.com/2008/09/blog-post_13.html

India sets new biofuel target, risks food price row

http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=62083&cid=4

As Jatropha plantation is in full swing pasture lands, once used by
cattle, are shrinking. Please see the pictures taken in Indian state
Chhattisgarh. Earlier this land was pasture land but now due to
Jatropha plantation cattle are searching grasses in plantation. In
general, Jatropha is considered as good fence crop but it is clear
from pictures that now it is no more effective. In this particular
plantation caretakers asked me some effective live fence to protect
Jatropha from cattle.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1960&res=640

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1964&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

Forest dept launches initiative to conserve sacred groves

4 Sep 2008, 0548 hrs IST, Rachna Singh,TNN

The Jatropha cultivation is severely limiting the ability of the
commons to support rural livelihood comprehensively and thereby
harming the ecological services they render," said Aman Singh of
Kripavis, an NGO that work for protection of sacred groves.

Livestock is the major source of livelihood for the poor and they are
heavily dependent on common pastures for grazing their cattle.
Jatropha cultivation will severely affect the availability of fodder,
feels Aman.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jaipur/Forest_dept_launches_initiative_to_con\
serve_sacred_groves_/articleshow/3442521.cms

Thanks for your interest. I am preparing scientific report on this
disease. In this report you will find answers of all your questions.

Please share more information about your campaign against poisonous
Jatropha.


Pankaj Oudhia

--- In jatropha@..., shona hawkes <shonahawkes@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Pankaj Oudhia,
> Thank-you so much for sending this through. We have been preparing
to fight what is said to be South-East Asia's biggest jatropha
processing plant in Timor-Leste.
>
> I was wondering if you could let me know any more about the disease.
>
> Some of the questions I have are below - but any information would
be great.
>
> - Can you describe the disease and what happens to the plant?
>
> - Does the disease have a name?
>
> - Did people know about the disease prior to planting jatropha
curcus or has this just emerged as an issue with large-scale plantings?
>
> - Can the virus be treated? If so how? and how much? If not how are
people responding?
>
>
> - How much is the estimated cost?
>
> - What is the estimated loss? How many livelihoods are likely to
affected?
>
> Thank-you so much for any help you can provide.
>
> A luta continua
>
> Shona
> www.laohamutuk.org
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Pankaj Oudhia <pankajoudhia@...>
> To: jatropha@...
> Sent: Tuesday, 26 August, 2008 5:08:09 AM
> Subject: [jatropha] A picture is worth a thousand words-II
>
>
> Attack of viral disease in Jatropha in Indian state Chhattisgarh.
>
> http://www.discover life.org/ mp/20p?see= I_PAO1776& res=640
>
> Pankaj Oudhia
>
>
>
>
>       Win a MacBook Air or iPod touch with Yahoo!7.
http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset
>

Thats why Jatropha plantations failed in Indian state Chhattisgarh.
Diseases are common.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1597&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

Insects are enjoying on Jatropha and damaging this so-called pest
resistant plant. Termite infestation is killing Jatropha in large
numbers in Indian state Chhattisgarh.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1567&res=640

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1577&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

Farmers are even burning Jatropha in Indian state Chhattisgarh. Every
one is aware that large scale plantation is curse except our
politicians and planners.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?act=zoom&img=/home/IM/I_PAO/0016/640/Jatropha\
_curcas,I_PAO1617.jpg?361,245


Pankaj Oudhia

Farmers are uprooting and destroying Jatropha considering it as weed
i.e. unwanted plant.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1628&res=640

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1622&res=640



Pankaj Oudhia

Attack of viral disease in Jatropha in Indian state Chhattisgarh.


http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1776&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

Jatropha in Indian state Chhattisgarh.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1887&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

Zimbabwe: Tread on Biofuels Cautiously

	 The Herald (Harare)
Published by the government of Zimbabwe


The Herald (Harare)

OPINION
4 August 2008
Posted to the web 4 August 2008

Sifelani Tsiko
Harare

WHILE there is a drive by Zimbabwe and most other African countries to
develop biofuels as a response to both climate change and the rising
petroleum fuel import bill, agronomists and environmentalists say this
must be done cautiously so as not to threaten food security and
sovereignty.

Development experts who met recently at a one-day seminar in Harare to
discuss food aid and food security called on Zimbabwe and other
African countries to grow more crops for food than for biofuels, given
the growing threat of food riots worldwide as the poor protests
against rising food prices.

"Structural adjustment policies imposed by Bretton Woods institutions
removed governments from food production and this is a major cause of
loss of food sovereignty," said Professor Carol Thompson, a visiting
political economist from the Northern Arizona University in the United
States.

"Market policies have failed the poor. Food prices are rising, they
are more hungry people. The Doha Round failed recently over
contentious agricultural issues because the US and the European Union
failed to remove subsidies for their own farmers."

She said Zimbabwe and most other African countries were enthusiastic
about biofuels programmes but warned that this flurry of initiatives
would lead to food shortages and more food riots as large
foreign-dominated multinationals focus more on agro-fuels production
at the expense of food for the poor.

"People are beginning to compete with cars. There is a rapid rise in
crop production for fuel. Large conglomerates are integrating
vertically from the fields to the fuel tanks and not much to the
dinner plate," she said.

"In the US, only four corporates decide what you will eat and not the
US government anymore. There is a big danger that Zimbabwe and Africa
might lose food sovereignty if multinationals are allowed to come in
and exploit food crops for biofuels.

"Maize is a staple for people here and once it's commodified for
agro-fuels production, the community identity and sustenance will be
lost."

According to a 2008 World Food Programme report, there were food riots
in 70 countries worldwide while 100 million more people were hungry.

The United Nations estimates that one billion people suffer from
hunger and poverty, about 12 percent of all humanity.

GRAIN, a non-profit organisation which promotes the sustainable
management and use of agricultural bio-diversity, reports that 70
percent of developing countries are net food importers as of today.

There is a large-scale planting of agro-fuel crops, particularly
jatropha, in most countries in Southern Africa as governments join in
the growing movement towards alternative fuels.

Large multinationals are moving in, taking over resources used by
rural communities for their own survival.

Agronomists and environmentalists who met at the seminar, organised by
the Community Technology Development Trust, said local people in most
parts of Southern Africa would find it harder to satisfy their food
and fuel needs.

"It is the rural poor who will bear the cost of the agro-fuel boom
while reaping few of the benefits," said Mr Andrew Mushita, an
agronomist and director of CTDT.

"The shortage of fuel has also been a challenge within the region and
this has led to Sadc countries putting large areas of land under
plants which will be processed to produce fuel.

"This has greatly affected agriculture and also food security of the
region."

In the region, the Democratic Republic of Congo committed 3 million
hectares of land for agro-fuels production, Mozambique 3,5 million
hectares, South Africa 700 000 hectares, Tanzania 400 000 hectares and
Zambia 500 000 hectares, according to media reports.

Agronomists and environmentalists expressed concern that these huge
tracts of land were being mostly used to produce agro-fuels by
multinationals for foreign consumption by rich countries in the North.

"These industrial conglomerates see Africa as a 'Green Opec' for the
world. The amount of grain required to fill the 90-litre tank of a 4X4
once with ethanol will feed one person for a year," Prof Thompson said.

"Jatropha will take good soils from food crops. Is it right to make
land available for agro-fuels production in a food deficit region?
There is need to tackle agro-fuels in the context of our land policies."

She said Africa should be concerned that Nigeria, Africa's third
largest oil producer (and the world's 10th largest) imports 70 percent
of oil for domestic consumption.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200808040577.html

- Jatropha is toxic to livestock, weedy, and not a good species to use
in agroforestry systems except as living fences to protect food crops
from livestock; and Jatropha wood is of little value for fuelwood and
charcoal.  Closely spaced, Jatropha would eliminate grasses and shrubs
on which livestock feed; livestock that are especially important for
women and children, for they are either eaten or sold to purchase
nutritious food to supplement their meager diets.

-Most often, marginal lands lack either adequate nutrients or moisture
or both; that’s why they are marginal, and as the old saying goes,
“There is no free lunch.”  Trees, as do other plants, mine nutrients
from the soil, and for optimal and sustained production, these
nutrients must be replenished.  Although Jatropha may look promising
as a tree/shrub for marginal lands, without added nutrients, moisture
and improved germplasm, marginal yields can be expected.

-Projects based on a single source of oil, such as that from Jatropha,
which produces an unsure yield of nuts only during a short period of
time (once or twice a year) and may not produce optimal yields for
several years, may prove to be problematic and unsustainable.

-To optimize oil extraction from Jatropha seeds and to produce a
quality of oil that will maximize profits (e.g., a diesel oil
substitute) requires: equipment, some quite expensive; chemicals, such
as methanol and caustic soda, that are highly flammable, toxic and
dangerous to use and are somewhat costly and not readily available

- Some of the biggest advocates for Jatropha are those who are selling
seeds (of unknown genetic potential), who stand to make the profits in
the near term.  Often, in many calculations of projected
profitability, one or more of the costs of establishment, harvesting,
transport, processing and marketability may not be included, while the
over-valued speculation of selling carbon credits is; therefore, a
somewhat distorted view of bottom-line economics is presented.

-Although many researchers have described Jatropha as a potential
domestic fuel for cooking and lighting, with properties similar to
kerosene, it cannot be used directly in conventional kerosene stoves
or lamps. High ignition temperatures and viscosity (75.7 10-6 m2/s) as
compared to kerosene (50-55 C, and 2.2 10-6m2/s respectively) mean
that Jatropha oil will not burn as well, and would clog up all the
tubes and nozzles in a conventional stove or lamp.

-Unrefined Jatropha oil can only be used in certain types of diesel
engines, such as Lister-type engines; but even then they require
modifications, and are high-maintenance.  The Lister type engine is
commonly used in developing countries to run small-scale flourmills or
electric generators. These engines also have to be located in warm
climates because the viscosity of Jatropha oil is too high at low
temperatures. However, any diesel engine, with no modification other
than the replacing of natural rubber with synthetic rubber hoses
(which late model engines do not have anyway), can run on Jatropha
fuel once the oil has gone through a process called trans-esterification.

-According to Marc Portnoff, senior scientist at the Carnegie Mellon
Center for Advanced Fuel Technology, Jatropha oil does not store well
without processing, perhaps for only a few months; therefore, this
would make it difficult to provide fuel to power the year-around
operation of small industries such as grain mills, oil presses, water
pumps and electricity generators

-Jatropha has the potential to be weedy because of its toxic seeds
that can spread rather easily and create dense stands on uncultivated
lands.  It is reported as a weed in many places including Australia,
Brazil, Fiji, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, and
Salvador.

-In the IPGRI paper, several scientists are quoted on stating that
Jatropha curcas can transmit cassava superlongation disease
(Sphaceloma manihoticola/Elsinoe Brasilinesis); and another species,
J. multifida, is an alternate host plant for African Cassava Mosaic
Virus, which is transmitted by whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), and it can
be assumed that this also applies to Jatropha curcas.

For full report please visit

http://www.echotech.org/mambo/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=178

Jatropha Toxic

Jatropha can be toxic
Friday, April 25, 2008
Jatropha can be harmful, expert warns
By Conrad M. Cariño, Senior Desk Editor

A top biotechnologist in the country said the government should not
encourage marginalized farmers to plant jatropha on a massive scale
because that would put them at a disadvantage.

Dr. Saturnina Halos, chairman of the Department of
Agriculture-Biotechnology Advisory Team, told The Manila Times that
farmers would be at the receiving end if they plant jatropha because
the only big market for that crop is biodiesel.

Halos said jatropha is "toxic" to the soil, and may contain a
neurotoxin that can harm or kill humans.

"The farmers will be placed at a disadvantage, because the only big
market for jatropha is biodiesel. What if that market suddenly
disappears … the farmer would be left in a pitiful state," she added.

While jatropha planting is encouraged along lands where rice cannot be
planted, Halos said the biofuel crops that the government should
propagate should also have a market for food. Among these are coconut,
malunggay, cassava, sweet sorghum, and sugarcane.

She added that there is no need to devote so much land for biofuel
crops, as far as complying with the Biofuels Law is concerned.

Halos said her son, Ari Halos, a former professor at University of the
Philippines-Los Baños, undertook a study in 2007 on the planting
requirements of the Philippines to comply with the Biofuels Law. The
study showed the country needs to devote only 60,000 hectares of lands
for planting bioethanol crops, particularly sweet sorghum.

Bioethanol refers to the plant additive for gasoline, while biodiesel
is for diesel.

Halos said her son's study showed that there may be no need to devote
new areas to plant biodiesel crops, because the Philippines already
has 324 million coconut trees, and 16 million more trees will be
planted through a program of the Philippine Coconut Authority.

While coconut is also a source of food additives such as cooking oil
and condiments, she agreed that the biodiesel market will provide
opportunities for poor coconut farmers to earn more, because they will
have an alternative market for their products.

Halos said the findings of her son's studies showed that biofuel
production for domestic demand will not have a negative impact on
farmland planted to food crops, because there is no need to devote
millions of hectares to plant biofuel crops.

"If we need to export biofuel stocks, then that might need the
planting of biofuel crops in more lands. What I have heard is
California is now looking at the Philippines for biofuel [stocks],"
she added.

The country has 10 to 11 million hectares of lands planted mostly to
food crops, with another two to four million hectares available for
planting new crops.

Other biofuel crops Halos strongly recommends are malunggay and sweet
sorghum, which can be planted in rice farms after two seasons of
planting rice.

Malunggay, like coconut, she revealed, can be planted even in areas
near the seashore, where traditional food crops cannot be cultivated.
Also, malunggay oil, like coconut oil, is now being used in the
manufacture of processed foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Another versatile biofuel crop is sweet sorghum. Halos said this crop
can be planted in rice fields after two croppings of rice, since sweet
sorghum needs less water to grow.

"Usually after two croppings of rice, there is little water left to
plant [rice]. So farmers can plant sweet sorghum [for the third
cropping], she added.

Fortunately, unlike other government agencies, the Agriculture
department is not encouraging the mass propagation of jatropha.

http://www.akha.org/content/environment/jatrophatoxic.html

Confusions galore at Gwalior meet
Shashikant Trivedi / New Delhi/ Gwalior July 31, 2008, 2:56 IST

The confusion over investment figures, non-viable projects �" jatropha
cultivation or bio-diesel cultivation �" and controversial projects
once again haunted the two-day Gwalior global investor meet.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=330000

Oily Green Mask

SHALINI BHUTANI AND KANCHI KOHLI Bhutani works with GRAIN; Kohli is a
member of Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group

THE GOVERNMENT OF India is drafting the country’s first ever biofuel
policy, which has been a closed door affair for civil society. One can
keep guessing what the final text would read but seeing the current
thrust, it is likely to give impetus to an already inflated drive to
promote corporate-sponsored biofuels.

Since 2003, the government’s intent has been articulated in a National
Biodiesel Mission. This has been mirrored in the recommendations of
the Planning Commission’s Committee on Development of Biofuels �" the
proportion of biofuel blends to be mixed with petroleum be increased
from five percent to 20 percent by 2012. A Group of Ministers (GoM),
headed by the Union Minister of Agriculture, is tasked with a
fullfledged biofuels policy.

Biofuels are another instance where the need for a solution has been
used as a business opportunity by those who created the problem in the
first place! It might be opportune to mention two things here �" first,
that a series of Indo-US energy talks preceded the announcement of any
domestic biofuel policy. Second, the demand for more fuel has been
created by high levels of consumption caused by the expansion of an
energy-intensive world order. Manufacturing and business processes
have been exploiting natural resources. The biofuel propaganda by
businesses is simply an act against its own destruction.

In the context of climate change, large corporations �" including
petroleum giants, mining companies, automobile manufacturers and food
processors �" have hopped on to the biofuel bandwagon, even sponsoring
debates on the criteria for “sustainable biofuels”. The noble
intention of “green” energy appear to be more reflective of the colour
of money than any ecological consideration.

So it is not surprising that the main players attempting to influence
the domestic policy on biofuels are business and industry. In 2006,
biodiesel suppliers and others formed the Biodiesel Association of
India, which is the main group lobbying for legal and policy changes,
including more land, raw material and tax exemptions. Likewise, the
sugar manufacturers are lobbying for favourable policy support.

For a country like India where the majority lead an off-the-grid life,
this means that more land needs to come under cultivation of crops
like jatropha, pongamia and sugar sources, which can be tapped for oil
and ethanol production respectively. Agricultural land, forests and
even grazing land, which support people’s livelihoods, are being used
to promote fuel plantations. Land, a source of food, is now being seen
as a source for oil extraction. The rising demand for fuel in an
increasingly mechanised world simply cannot be fulfilled even if more
land is brought under biofuel plantations.

In 2005, the Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority was set up
and, in 2006, a set of Rules was notified for biodiesel plantations in
the state. Forest and “waste” land began to be diverted for ratanjyot
or karanj plantations. In traditional wisdom and in the ecological
worldview, there is nothing “waste”. In states like Rajasthan, huge
tracts of the neeji beer (private grazing lands) projected as “waste”
lands are being systematically promoted for jatropha plantations,
through the state government’s “green patta” policy. For a pastoralist
society, this would mean using pastures for “fuel” cultivation, and
the survival of livestock then becomes a serious question.

In Orissa, some villagers have been duped of their land, including
revenue-generating, fully grown mahua trees, in the garb of leasing
out their land for an environment-friendly option. The Orissa
government’s Renewable Energy Development Agency is pushing the
state’s draft biofuels policy as a poverty alleviation programme.
Ironically, jatropha plantations are being pushed in the Kalahandi-
Bolangir-Koraput region, which is known for its food shortage.

Special Economic Zones, industries, mines and dams are obviously
industrial undertakings. It is a different thing that their impact is
forgotten and condoned for the
sake of the “growth” of a nation. But biofuels wear a green mask while
touting solutions to climate change. This veil is gradually lifting
now, with the promotion of biofuels being seen as adding to the food
crisis. Peasant communities, indigenous people and regular consumers
have been crying hoarse about the direct ill-effects, from land grab
to food price hikes, which they are facing due to the expansion of the
biofuel industry. More recently, there have also been murmurs of
concern from within the officialdom, with the Finance Minister of
India raising concerns about these ill-effects.

The promotion of biofuels today is yet another corporate agenda with
clear intentions of private profit. We have to stop regarding our
forest, fallow, pasture and agricultural land as “waste” or
convertibles, and the people who are dependent on these lands as
dispensable. Till then, the business of changing the climate will go
on in full swing.
From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 5, Issue 30, Dated Aug 02, 2008

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main40.asp?filename=Op020808oily_greenmask.asp

MPs warn over using huge chunks of land for Jatropha production

  2008-07-24 10:39:06
By Bilal Abdul-Aziz, Dodoma

The law makers have warned the government against leasing huge chunks
of fertile land to foreigners and other strategic investors, who want
to establish Jatropha plantations for bio-fuel production.

Discussing the budget estimates of the Agriculture, Food Security and
Cooperatives ministry for the 2008/09 financial year, most MPs
expressed grave concern over substituting fertile land used for food
crops production with Jatropha plants.

``We should not sell our farmers` land haphazardly�we shouldn`t
sacrifice the lands easily for Jatropha. They are fertile for growing
food crops whose production boosts up the country\'s food security,``
said Hasnain Dewji (Kilwa-South, CCM).

In a landmark contribution that moved MPs on their seats, the
legislator also talked of claims that a strategic investor from the
Netherlands was in the process to obtain a chunk of fertile land
currently under food crop production for setting up a Jatropha plantation.

As a result of that, Dewji said, many small-holders in his
constituency had been forced to become cheap labourers in the
big-short`s farms for the peanut pay of lass than 2,000/- a day.

``A Holland-based company has obtained a 50-year lease�when they come
to the ministry to apply for that land, they should be refused and I
would advise that the land should be given back to small-holder
farmers,`` he said.

Ibrahim Sanya (Stone Town, CUF) said if it was inevitable that
Jatropha plantations be established in the country out of any
pressure, strategic investors should be allowed to bring in industries
and the related technology, not only growing the plants.

``Foreigners should not be given land to grow Jatropha. Instead, they
should put up industries so that our people can grow the plant and
sell to them for bio-fuel production,`` he noted.

Said Arfi (Mpanda-Central, Chadema), also expressed deep concern over
substituting food crops with Jatropha.

``Over 81,000 hectors in Mpanda have been taken for the purpose of
growing Jatropha for bio-fuel`` he said.

The lawmaker said he had been deeply discontented by state-backed
moves to take away fertile land from the farmers and give it to
investors for growing Jatropha, warning that the country was at the
verge of a food crisis.

Antony Diallo (Ilemela, CCM) said if it was necessary that the country
join the bandwagon of producing bio-fuels, then, it should do it on a
wider scale by encouraging production more of common cereals, which
flourish in many parts of the country.

``We can make use of maize or other cereals, not necessarily insist on
growing Jatropha, because you can generate bio-fuel from maize too,``
he said.

The House was set to conclude the discussion and endorse the
ministry\'s budget yesterday evening.

http://ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2008/07/24/119123.html

Coconuts, pond scum: How green is your tarmac?

"The challenge for all of us on renewable fuels is to keep them out of
the food chain," Scott Carson, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes,
said at a press conference.

That leaves non-food crops, like jatropha, an oil-producing shrub that
grows in the tropics and is suitable to almost any soil.

Nice idea, but keeping the global airline fleet in the air would
require a jatropha plantation the size of continental Europe.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080721.RREGULY21/TPStory/Busi\
ness

Conservation more effective than biofuels for fighting global warming
mongabay.com

"For reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, maintaining our
forests and restoring them is much more effective than using land for
biofuels," Righelato told mongabay.com. "When forest is destroyed more
CO2 is lost than can be saved in 50 years or more through producing
biofuels on the cleared land."

http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0816-biofuels.html

With Corn ethanol more expensive than oil, is Jatropha a better biofuel?

"Some farmers have already reported financial losses from jatropha
plantations after their crops yielded less oil than expected or buyers
failed to pay sufficient prices. In a worst-case scenario, some
rural-development experts fear, small Indian farmers could wind up
serving as guinea pigs for an untested industry, leaving them in debt
if the boom fizzles."

http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0824-jatropha_ethanol.html

Several unaddressed issues �" Pricing, availability of jatropha oil

N. S. Venkataraman

  THE Government has taken a big step forward in implementing its
bio-fuel plans, by asking the public sector oil companies to buy
jatropha oil from the producers at Rs 25 a litre.

While this is a significant decision, there has been no comment or
observation from the Government on several other aspects of the
bio-fuel industry that call for urgent attention.

Before it is mixed with diesel, the raw jatropha vegetable oil has to
be transesterified. The process of transesterification involves the
production of glycerine as a co-product; 250 kg of glycerine is
produced for every 1000 kg of transesterified oil.

The demand for glycerine in India is only around 50,000 tonnes per
annum and the large production of transesterified oil would lead to a
substantial production of glycerine. There is no way to sell
thissurplus glycerine, which is already produced in adequate quantity,
within the country.

In view of the huge capacity creation for bio-diesel in Europe and
North America in recent times, glycerine is already posing a disposal
problem elsewhere in the world.

There is an urgent need to develop new applications for glycerine. The
government is silent on this issue and one hopes it is aware of this
problem. It is possible to develop applications for glycerine, as in
the manufacture of of certain products now made by the petroleum-based
route.

But unless appropriate technology development efforts are initiated
quickly, a solution cannot be found. A dynamic government initiative
to work on glycerine-based research is vital to take the biodiesel
programme forward.

The Government has also not explained the basis for fixing the price
at Rs 25 per litre. Jatropha oil is produced from jatropha seeds and
the farmers need to get at least Rs 4 per kg of jatropha seed to make
the cultivating the plant worthwhile.

It is possible to produce transesterified oil at below Rs 25 per litre
only if the price of the seed is less than Rs 2 per kg. At this price,
jatropha cultivation would be a losing proposition for the farmers.

The cake produced after extracting oil from jatropha seed cannot be
used as cattle-feed, as in other parts of the world where vegetable
oil for biodiesel production is produced from edible crops such as
rape seed and soya. Jatropha is a non-edible crop and the seeds are toxic.

The sale realisation for the cake is very important for optimising the
cost of production of jatropha oil. As of now, there is no plan for
use of the jatropha seed cake that is the residue after oil extraction.

One possible solution is to use the cake as biomass for production of
power. But no worthwhile pilot plant studies have so far been made to
assess the process parameters and the economics of operations for the
biomass unit.

The economic and viable capacity for a plant producing transesterified
oil from jatropha vegetable oil is 30,000 tonnes per annum, which
would call for the investment of several crores of rupees. The
transesterification project is a medium- or large-scale industry, not
a small-scale operation.

While a number of large transesterification plants, of one million
tonnes per annum, are operational abroad, none of them is based on
jatropha oil but on crops such as soya or rapeseed.

Therefore, it must be realised that there is no commercial experience
anywhere in the world in operating large-scale transesterification
plants based on jatropha.

While the Government has announced the price of oil, where is the
source for immediate supply in great volumes, when large-scale
transesterification plants are yet to be built in the country?

The net result of this situation could be the import of huge volumes
of transesterified oil in the coming years, which would leave the
Indian jatropha industry hapless.

The Government has to ensure that the domestic industries are
supported and benefited, and that the farmers are protected, when it
implements the biodiesel policy.

This may call for special incentive schemes and subsidy programmes,
But so far, there is no indication that the government has applied its
mind towards such requirements.

(The author, a chemical engineer, is Director, Nandini Consultancy
Centre, Chennai.)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/10/18/stories/2005101801271100.htm

Tanzania blows hot and cold over biofuels

By Alan Beattie

The food versus fuel debate is exercising governments around the
world. But in countries like Tanzania, it seems to be generating
confusion rather than clarity.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a0f2b594-2ce9-11dd-88c6-000077b07658.html

Dear Group Members,
      It is news from from Punjab, India where 12 children were
hospitalized due to Jatropha poisoning. For details please visit this
link.

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/punjab/4_2_4602111.html


Pankaj Oudhia

Dear Group Members,

     Times of India reported 36 students consumed Jatropha, whereas
Expressindia is saying 40 whereas Tribune Chandigarh reported 53
students. Please see these links.

http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/jatropha/message/662

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/40-students-taken-ill-after-eating-fruit\
/333510/

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080710/punjab1.htm

As you know, Jatropha is planted in school compound by ignoring the
fact that it can take lives. Now students are paying cost of this
plantation  by greedy Jatropha promoters. Shame.

Article written many years back is still relevant.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=847&page=-2

Lets pray for the kids and other victims.

Pankaj Oudhia