BP exits jatropha biofuel project to focus on ethanol
Bloomberg News
July 17, 2009, 6:37AM

BP Plc, Europe's second-largest oil company, will exit its jatropha biofuel
project with D1 Oils Plc to focus on production of ethanol in Brazil and the
U.S. and advance biobutanol development.

“To ensure the success of these investments, BP is concentrating new business
development in these areas and will no longer be directly involved in the
jatropha as a biofuel feedstock,” Sheila Williams, a London-based company
spokeswoman, said today in an e-mail.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6533823.ht

[News forwarded by Shefali Sharma. Thanks Shefali-Moderator.]

Biodiesel sector waits for clarity on benefits from duty cut

Kalpana Pathak / Mumbai July 9, 2009, 0:00 IST
>
>
>
> The biodiesel industry has welcomed finance minister’s move to reduce
> the customs duty on biodiesel from 7.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent and
> the duty paid on high-speed diesel blended with up to 20 per cent
> biodiesel to be exempted from excise duties. But, it is seeking
> clarity on the benefits the moves would bring.
>
> “We are trying to ascertain if the exemption would be available only
> to blended fuel or if it would be extended to the total product. This
> in any case would mean a huge cost advantage to the oil marketing
> firms. Around 5 per cent blending could mean that entire 95 per cent
> blending of the fuel could be exempted from duty,” said an industry
> expert who advises firms on procuring bio-fuel.
>
> Industry experts say while fossil fuel attracts excise duty, biodiesel
> does not. So a clarity is required on if blended bio-diesel will
> invite any amount of tax. Also, how the details would be worked out
> and what procedure would be followed.
>
> Biodiesel Association of India (BAI) has also written to the finance
> ministry seeking the customs duty concession to be extended on
> feedstock (free fatty acid and non-edible oils) imports to encourage
> running of over a dozen biodiesel processing units in India.
>
> While industry watchers believe the reduction in duty will also
> promote import of biodiesel, producers of biodiesel differ. “India’s
> processing capacity of bio-diesel is estimated at 200,000 tonnes per
> year but a majority of biodiesel units are not operational most of the
> year. What good will abolishing the duties do?” wondered an executive
> from a firm whose plant has been lying idle.
>
> Commercial production and marketing of bio-diesel in India is
> negligible due to the lack of availability of jatropha seed and other
> non-edible oil feedstock.
>
> Most existing bio-diesel producers use mixed feedstock including
> non-edible oilseeds, non-edible oil waste, and animal or fish fat as
> feedstock.
>
> “The existing jatropha plantations are at a very initial stage of
> growth. The total jatropha plantation area in the country is presently
> estimated around 450,000 hectares and, of this, over 70 per cent are
> new plantations and would mature in the next four years,” said an
> Ahmedabad-based industry analyst.
>
> In October 2005, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced a
> “biodiesel purchase policy”, in which oil companies would purchase
> biodiesel and blend it with high-speed diesel (HSD) at a 5 per cent
> blending ratio which was to take place in 20 procurement centres
> across major producing areas in the country from January 2006.
>
> However, owing to the cost of production of bio-diesel, which is said
> to be 20 per cent higher than the pre-determined price (reviewed every
> six months by the ministry), of Rs 26.5 per litre, there are no sales
> of bio-diesel at these centers. The overall cost of production for
> bio-diesel is around Rs 31 per litre today.
>
> *Firms acquire land abroad*
> With the present measures, companies like Emami Biotech, an outfit of
> the Emami group and Hazel Mercantile would benefit which are planning
> to produce and process bio-diesel abroad. Sources close to the
> development said these companies have acquired 10,000 acroes to 25,000
> hectares in Africa for cultivating jatropha and processing bio-diesel.
>
> An official from Emami confirmed the move. Emami last year,
> commissioned its 1,000 tonnes per day edible oil plant at Haldia which
> has the capacity to produce 300 tonnes per day of bio-diesel from palm
> oil.
>
> The plant, however, is lying idle.
>
> Industry experts say that to process bio-fuel, land and other
> resources are more easily available abroad. Thus more and more
> companies are looking to adopting this strategy to enter the bio-fuel
> segment.
>
>
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/biodiesel-sector-waits-for-claritybe\
nefitsduty-cut/363357/

Dear Group Members,

     If you are exhausted of poisonous and obnoxious Jatropha and want to control
this "weed", please attend Weed Day in UC Davis. There is special session for
Jatropha control.

http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9176

Thanks God !!! At least few researchers are going in right direction.

Pankaj Oudhia

Dear Group Members,

      Although very late but it is good news that now Indian media is publishing
news of Jatropha failure. Farmers are in anger and raising voice against
Jatropha plantation based corruption. Shri Tripathi of Nahili village told the
media that he planted one lakh saplings but after harvest when he contacted
forest department, they refused even to talk with the farmer. When another
Farmer Shri Rama Manohar planted Jatropha in one acre by removing food crops,
District authorities visited to encourage. When he approached to the authorities
with seeds no one was there to respond. Farmer named Shri Ashok destroyed 5
quintal Jatropha seeds. This news clipping in Hindi says that farmers used heavy
machinery by their own expenses to remove Jatropha from fields as Jatropha is
deep rooted plant and once established its hard to remove.

http://www.bundelkhandlive.com/site/?p=670

Few days back I got reaction from senior farmer who uprooted Jatropha recently,
on use of Jatropha oil by New Zealand Air. He simply said " Fools are present
throughout world."


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1

Heat on NGO for funds misuse

Heat on NGO for funds misuse
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Jamshedpur, June 28: A West Singhbhum-based NGO is under scanner for having
allegedly misused funds allocated under the Centre’s National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Following a directive issued by the West Singhbhum deputy commissioner, Sunil
Kumar, an FIR was lodged today with Chaibasa Sadar police station against Sur
Savera for allegedly duping state exchequer of Rs 80 lakh.

The NGO was entrusted with jatropha plantations in three blocks of West
Singhbhum at a cost of Rs 1.69 crore under the NREGS in 2007-08.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090629/jsp/jharkhand/story_11171491.jsp

30 students rushed to hospital after eating poisonous Physic seeds

Thu, Jun 18, 2009
The Nation/Asia News Network



CHAIYAPHUM, Thailand - Thirty students here were rushed to a district hospital
at noon after they ate poisonous Physic seeds (Jatropha curcas).

Doctor Manij Chaicharnnarong, director of the Kaengkro Hospital, said 29 of the
students were discharged after doctors performed detoxification aids for them.

One of them, who took over 20 seeds, was admitted for close monitoring. He is
Anuchit Boonso, 11 a fifth grader of the Nong Sala Pachart School in Tambon
Nongsung in Kaengkro district.

The students said they thought the Physic seeds were edible so they had them as
snack during the lunch break.

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20090618-149352.htm\
l

Jatropha viability as biofuel crop falls into doubt

By Dominique Paton  (email the author)

Posted Wednesday, June 17 2009 at 00:00

Jatropha, the oily plant billed as the answer to Africa’s energy problems,
needs more water than other biofuel crops, a new study reveals.

The findings by Dutch researchers raise questions about the long-term viability
of several projects currently in the start-up phase in Kenya.

Proponents of jatropha claim that the plant is well-suited to the dry, arid
conditions in Africa.

But though the plant survives more easily than others without water, it would
need substantially more water than soy, corn or sugar beet to produce enough oil
for comparable amounts of energy, reported Professor Arjen Hoekstra and his
colleagues at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

“There is a misunderstanding that plants that are drought resistant can do
well without water. During this period of drought, the plant doesn’t grow,”
Professor Hoekstra told Business Daily.

The researchers measured the ‘water footprint’ of 13 different crops, or the
volume of water used to produce the crop in relation to the amount of energy
that could be obtained from the crop.

They found that jatropha needs an average of 20,000 litres of water for every
litre of biodiesel, well above the 14,000 litres needed by rapeseed biodiesel.

And when compared to ethanol made from sugar or corn, jatropha needs about five
times as much water to make the same amount of energy, the study showed,
published this month in a leading scientific journal, the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers acknowledged that data from jatropha production is still
limited.

They based their findings on plantations in India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Brazil,
and Guatemala.

For all the other crops, the researchers had more comprehensive data. This may
affect the results, said Professor Hoekstra.

“There are big differences among countries for all crops, sometimes by a
factor of two or four.”

http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Company%20Industry/-/539550/611678/-/u9oce8z/\
-/

Dear Group Members,

         Terminalia arjuna, popularly known as Arjuna, is tree of medicinal
importance. Its bark is used for heart troubles. Plant parts are used in over
20,000 traditional formulations. Chhattisgarh is having rich population of this
tree. But in the name of development now these trees are cut without mercy.

Arjun tree population in Mahanadi canal has saved millions of lives. Now
authorities have planted Jatropha in space between Arjun trees. Jatropha toxins
are affecting growth of Arjun tree. I have observed in my pot culture experiment
that Jatropha extracts are having positive allelopathic effect on Arjun. This
increasing pressure of Jatropha is now forcing Traditional Healers to stop
collection of Arjun plant parts for medicine.

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5534&res=640

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5530&res=640


Trees with white trunk are of Arjun.


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/-/3nerdtj3s9l79/0#

Dear Group Members,

           Here is small example that how Jatropha planted in canal bund is
affecting common Indian. Please see this picture.

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5511&res=640

According to this shepherd, earlier the bund was having rich population of
plants used as fodder. Now due to Jatropha few species are surviving. This
decrease in native plant population is forcing him to travel long distance in
search of fodder. When I asked him about Jatropha. He simply said that it is
socalled biodiesel plant but I think it is another fraud by authorities.

Pankaj Oudhia

["Seven days medicinal herbs based schedule/course for possible prevention of
Swine Flu."

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/seven-days-medicinal-herbs-based/3nerdtj3\
s9l79/9#  ]

Dear Group Members,

    According to modern scientific literature, Jatropha is well known Fish
poison. Its toxicity to humanbeings is also known. Ignoring it the Jatropha
promoters have planted it along with canals in India.

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5537&res=640

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5466&res=640

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5464&res=640

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5468&res=640

Once planted Jatropha will remain as curse up to half century. The water of this
canal is used for fishery, human consumption as well as for washing. Natives
have started complaining health problems due to such plantations near canal
specially during summer when water is less and fruiting is on.


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1#

All Washed Up for Jatropha?

Phil McKenna

The draught-resistant "dream" biofuel is also a water hog

A comprehensive new analysis of water use in biofuel crop production finds that
jatropha, an oil-rich plant championed for its ability to grow in arid regions
where food crops cannot, is the biggest water hog of them all. Researchers from
the University of Twente, in the Netherlands, report in a recent issue of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that jatropha requires five
times as much water per unit of energy as sugarcane and corn, and nearly ten
times as much as sugar beet--the most water-efficient biofuel crop, according to
the same study.
In recent years, as corn and other biofuel came under fire for driving up the
cost of food production, some biofuel producers turned to Jatropha curcas, a
weed that grows wild throughout the tropics and semitropics and produces seeds
rich in oil.
In 2007, the oil-industry heavyweight BP teamed up with British biofuels company
D1 Oils on a five-year, �80 million project to cultivate the plant in India,
Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa. Together, the companies have planted more
than 200,000 hectares so far. And the plant made headlines again late last year,
when it became the first non-food-based biofuel to power a jet engine. But
mounting evidence suggests that jatropha is not as ideal as once thought.
"The claim that jatropha doesn't compete for water and land with food crops is
complete nonsense," says study coauthor Arjen Hoekstra. The researcher says it's
true that the plant can grow with little water and can survive through periods
of drought, but to flourish, it needs good growing conditions just like any
other plant. "If there isn't sufficient water, you get a low amount of oil
production," Hoekstra says.
Hoekstra and his colleagues assessed the water footprint of 13 different biofuel
crops. Their calculations included regional estimates of how much rainwater each
crop received and how much additional water would be required through irrigation
for optimal growth. The study also considered evaporation rates during the
growing season in the main production areas of each crop, and the average yields
of each from 1997 to 2001. The figures were then averaged by country and
globally to come up with a single water-footprint figure--per liter of ethanol
or biodiesel--for each crop.
"You see a big difference depending on the country where the biomass is
produced, different climates, different agricultural practices, the crop being
used, whether it is a starch or sugar crop used for bioethanol, an oil crop for
biodiesel, or a crop that is burned for electricity generation," Hoekstra says.
The team calculated that jatropha requires an average of 20,000 liters of water
for every liter of biodiesel produced in India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Brazil,
and Guatemala--the only countries for which jatropha production figures were
available. For all the other crops, the researchers used much more
comprehensive--and thus truly global--data from the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations. Soybeans and rapeseed, the two other
biodiesel crops considered in the study, were next highest in terms of water
consumption, each requiring roughly 14,000 liters of water per liter of fuel.
Chris Somerville, director of the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University
of California, Berkeley, says he's not that surprised by the study's findings.
"Jatropha is a wild species and probably has a terrible harvest index [ratio of
yield to the total harvest] because no breeding has been done yet," he says.
Somerville says that interest in jatropha was driven largely by European Union
(EU) mandates for biodiesel production that were reduced in December 2008 due to
environmental concerns that biofuels--in particular, biodiesel from palm
oil--were causing the destruction of rain forests and wetlands. "I don't know if
we'll see the death of jatropha, but we certainly see a lot less demand for it
in Europe now than a couple of years ago, when there was a real scramble for
it," Somerville says.
Another recent study, carried out by Friends of the Earth, found that jatropha
plantations in Swaziland run by BP and D1 Oils were taking land and water away
from food crops in a country already suffering from chronic food shortages.
Somerville says that jatropha and other biodiesel crops will likely be pushed
out by much higher yields of cellulosic ethanol in developed countries in the
coming years, but that the plants may continue to fill a niche. "The developing
world may continue to see a big demand for jatropha and other vegetable oils
because capital investment is much less than for ethanol and especially the
highly technical processes of cellulosic fuels," he says.
Henk Joos, who is the plant science director at D1 Oils, contends that the EU
mandates still call for large quantities of biodiesel and says that newer,
higher-yield strains of jatropha could solve many of the plant's water-use
issues. Joos is crossbreeding different strains of jatropha to increase seed
production and to maximize the seeds' oil content, and he's developing processes
that allow the remaining seed biomass to be used for animal feed.
In 2006, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), an Indian research group,
began a 10-year, $9.4 million effort to develop jatropha that included
genetically engineering seeds to have higher oil content. Nibhi Chanana of TERI
says that the group is still three to four years away from isolating the genes
that control for oil production.
(Source: Technology Review)

http://www.morungexpress.com/analysis/25834.html

Dear Group Members,

    Please see this "Battle at Kruger" up to end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM


Up to end, please.


Ok. Then put Indigenous Diospyros in place of Bufallo and Exotic Jatropha in
place of Lion.

Diospyros melanoxylon is indigenous species of economic importance. The
authorities cleared Diospyros before planting Jatropha. Initially Jatropha
population tried to smother indigenous Diospyros but now as Bufallo in youtube
video, now Diospyros is becoming aggressive to suppress Jatropha. In this
picture, Green plant is of Diospyros and diseased poor plant is of Jatropha.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5398&res=640

In back you can see supporting population of Diospyros.

Other pictures of Diospyros re-establishment.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5395&res=640

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5394&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

Dear Group Members,

    In India, Jatropha is not feeling well in Lateritic land. Whereas indigenous
species are flourishing as usual in such lands. Please see this picture taken
few days back during hot summer. Jatropha is in poor condition even after giving
all inputs in access but Neem is growing in Jatropha land without any care.
Hence, even layman can recommend plantation of indigenous species like Neem in
such lands not to invest in exotic Jatropha.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5421&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

http://pankajoudhia.com/

Jatropha - Careful Science, Uninformed Optimism and Simplistic Implementation

Written by Dave Harcourt
Published on June 8th, 2009
Posted in About Energy, In Africa
Three different news items highlight the vast differences in viewpoint and the
continuing uncertainty around the farming of Jatropha by small scale farmers as
a feedstock for Europe’s refineries moving towards meeting the EU’s
renewable liquid fuel goals.

http://ecoworldly.com/2009/06/08/jatropha-careful-science-uninformed-optimism-an\
d-simplistic-implementation/

Dear Group Members,

      Many group members have raised the question that how I calculate Jatropha
survival rate. They complained that the rate is very high and not acceptable.
For them I am forwarding few pictures with request to calculate the survival
rate in socalled model project.

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5418&res=640

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5416&res=640

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5411&res=640

Hard to believe? It is three years old plantation (with all inputs at luxury
consumption level). When it was inaugurated the chief guest said

"Bio-diesel is a field which can change the condition of the state and the
country," Kalam told jatropha cultivators of Sunderkera village in Raipur.

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-24381570_ITM

I have taken thousands of pictures in different parts of India enough to prove
complete Jatropha failure.


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1

Dear Group Members,

     As human population is increasing and collection of fuel wood from nearby
forest is increasing, the availability of wood is decreasing and as result
population is focusing attention on Jatropha. I have mentioned earlier that its
difficult to burn Jatropha but natives are using it with other wood. Please see
this picture.

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5295&res=640


You will find such scenes of Jatropha burning very frequently while moving in
plantation areas.

As you know, Jatropha plant parts are full of HCN. There is no research saying
that use of Jatropha as fuel wood is safe. In areas where Jatropha is in use for
this purpose specific eye trouble is increasing at alarming rates.

The Traditional Healers say that burning Jatropha is curse due to its toxic
chemicals, for bees and many other beneficial insects used as traditional
medicine.

By the way, please see small "wood mafia" carrying green trees in parts without
any fear.

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5204&res=640

Every morning atleast 2000 such cycles pass through this single road with dead
bodies of green forest trees. As result, forest is decreasing at alarming rates.


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1#

Dear Group Members,

   Please see this picture

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5249&res=640


In Chhattisgarh, instead of planting Jatropha variety, plants with much
variations have been planted. As result at same time they perform with much
differences. In this picture you can see variations in Jatropha planted at same
time. Please note these plants are also low fruit yielding. Hence, these are
nothing but burden.

This news clip is saying everything

Jatropha may secure energy, but planting schemes fail to bear fruit

http://www.livemint.com/2007/09/30235424/2007/11/21004643/Jatropha-may-secure-en\
ergy-bu.html


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1#

Dear Group Members,

      Last year I posted a message showing pictures of burning Jatropha by rice
farmers. During field preparations they found this weed encroaching their lands.
The Jatropha was planted by state authorities. Without much hesitation farmers
uprooted and burnt the plants. I visited the same spot again and found that now
Jatropha is growing well. I asked to farmers about yield. They said that these
are not fruiting types (?). They complained that this fencing is restricting
many of us from entering our fields. There is need for continuous pruning.
Earlier they were using the rainy and winter season plants growing in this place
as fodder, food and medicine but now due to Jatropha very few species flourish
under it. Many farmers were using this land for raising Cajanus cajan.

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5166&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1#

Dear Group Members,

    I am visiting to Jatropha plantations continuously. In series titled "That's
how Jatropha is performing in India" I will present some pictures stating the
ground realities of Jatropha.

In this picture, Jatropha is planted inside dense forest. Jatropha plants are
enjoying all chemical inputs in higher side. As result now they are becoming
trees but even after many years of planting these plants are not bearing enough
fruits. Fruiting in very poor in Chhattisgarh conditions. Many are blaming
planting material where as others are blaming agro-climatic conditions for poor
fruiting. I am in worry because now it is burden on forest. No one is going to
uproot it from here.

If you see the picture closely you will find wooden pole fence around Jatropha
row. These wooden poles are from valuable old indigenous trees existing in
forest. Such foolish work has been done in thousands of acres to "protect"
Jatropha.

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO5287&res=640


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1#

Uncertain times for biofuel company

THE future for renewable energy company D1 Oils looks uncertain after its joint
venture with BP to plant biofuel crop jatropha around the world failed to
attract a third investor.
Biofuel crop jatropha

The AIM-listed firm, which last year announced the closure of its refineries on
Teesside and Merseyside with the loss of 90 jobs, has been concentrating on the
research and planting of Jatropha curcas to produce biodiesel.

The company, founded by North East entrepreneur Karl Watkin, has now ceased
refinery operations to concentrate on the project, which has planted 544,000
acres in areas including India and South Asia.

But the firm has now said funding for the D1-BP fuel crops is “uncertain”,
with BP confirming that the planting venture has failed to attract a third
investor to take it worldwide.

The statement said: “The outcome of this fundraising process is uncertain, and
the Board of D1 Oils anticipates that the joint venture will therefore be
written off in D1’s preliminary results for the year ended December 31,
2008.”

Both companies are talking about the future of their partnership, which could
result in restructuring of the joint venture, with the possibility of BP taking
a share in D1’s commercial development arm D1 Oils Plant Science Ltd, which
owns the intellectual property for its jatropha activities, or increasing its
share in D1-BP Fuel Crops beyond 50% or pulling out altogether.

http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news/2009/06/05/uncert\
ain-times-for-biofuel-company-51140-23793237/

Bioenergy Makes Heavy Demands On Scarce Water Supplies

ScienceDaily (June 4, 2009) �" The ‘water footprint’ of bioenergy, i.e. the
amount of water required to cultivate crops for biomass, is much greater than
for other forms of energy. The generation of bioelectricity is significantly
more water-efficient in the end, however �" by a factor of two �" than the
production of biofuel. By establishing the water footprint for thirteen crops,
researchers at the University of Twente were able to make an informed choice of
a specific crop and production region. They published their results in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of 2 June.

In their article, the researchers show the water footprint of thirteen crops:
the volume of water �" rainwater and irrigation �" required per gigajoule of
energy production. In respect of various applications of biomass, the
researchers present the impact that cultivation of the crops has on water
consumption. By linking the water consumption to the location and climate data,
it is possible to select the optimum production region for each crop. This makes
it easier to prevent biomass cultivation from jeopardizing food production in
regions where water is already in short supply, according to the researchers.

This lends an extra dimension to the bioenergy debate: until now, the discussion
has mainly focused on the question of whether it should be allowed to use food
crops for fuel. But underlying this is the question of how we should deploy our
limited supplies of fresh water. Water that is used for bioenergy �" whether it
be for a food crop such as maize or a non-food crop such as jatropha �" cannot
be used for food production, for drinking water or for maintaining natural
eco-systems. The water footprint, developed by Prof. Arjen Hoekstra, one of the
authors of the PNAS article, is a powerful tool for surveying this.

1 litre of diesel, 14,000 litres of water

An example is biodiesel, which is made from rapeseed, soya or jatropha. On
average, it takes 14,000 litres of water to produce one litre of biodiesel from
rapeseed or soya. However, the water footprint for rapeseed in Western Europe is
significantly smaller than in Asia. For soya, India has a large water footprint,
while the figures for countries such as Italy and Paraguay are more favourable.
Jatropha, which is increasingly used for biomass production, has an even less
favourable water footprint of 20,000 litres of water on average for one litre of
biodiesel.

Whole plant

The research shows that generation of bioelectricity has a smaller water
footprint than the production of biofuels. A significant cause is that in the
case of the former, the whole plant is used and in the case of the latter, only
the sugar, starch or oil from the seeds is used. As regards the new generation
of biofuels, ethanol can also be made from the stalk and leaves; this will have
a favourable effect on the water consumption.

Sugar beet a favourite

In the generation of bioelectricity, too, there are big differences between the
crops: sugar beet has by far the smallest water footprint �" jatropha is 10
times less water-efficient. For the production of bioethanol, sugar beet is
again by far the favourite: one litre of bioethanol made from sugar beet takes
1,400 litres of water, as against 2,500 litres for sugarcane, which is widely
cultivated  in Brazil.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091737.htm

Friends of the Earth questions jatropha benefits

02 June 2009

Friends of the Earth questions jatropha benefits Biofuels produced from jatropha
are being touted as a significant step forward for alternative fuel, however a
new report has warned that the 'wonder crop' may be negatively impacting global
food production.

Jatropha has been in the headlines this week after details were revealed of a
test flight by Air New Zealand in which a mix of the biofuel and Jet A1
delivered a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

However, Friends of the Earth (FoE) has published a new report which
investigated claims that the crop is capable of growing on poor-quality land
that is not required for arable farming.

Researchers found that jatropha can grow in semi-arid land, although yields
under such conditions are unlikely to be sufficient for farmers to make a
profit.

What's more, FoE claimed that the crop can require regular watering, which is
posing problems for farmers in Swaziland where lack of water is an issue.

Such factors have encouraged some farmers in the country to begin growing
jatropha on land set aside for food, the report warned.

"It is shameful that this so-called wonder crop is replacing food production in
a country where two thirds of the population depend on food aid," said Hannah
Griffiths, biofuels campaigner at FoE.

"The EU must assess the damage being done by jatropha as part of its biofuels
review next year."


http://www.lowcarboneconomy.com/community_content/_low_carbon_news/6013

Ghana: Accra-Based NGO Kicks Against Jatropha Production

Accra �" The Chairman of Friends of the Earth (FOE), a non-governmental
organisation, has challenged African leaders to kick against attempts by the
West, to use the Jatropha plant and agricultural-based renewable energy
generation alternatives, at the expense of food production.

Mr Nnimmo Bassey stressed: "The time has come for our political leaders, to make
a firm decision on moves by the advance countries, to scramble for so called
marginal lands for the cultivation of Jatrohpa and other crops for bio fuel."

Speaking at a day's workshop in Accra, , Mr Bassey urged African countries, to
resist the "sugar coated" decision, since it would further deepen the
continent's food and water crises, sanitation problems, poverty and land tenure
difficulties.

The workshop was a side event organised by FOE to "discuss challenges pertaining
to biofuel development," "myth of marginal land right" and "global food crisis,
policy option for Africa".

Mr Bassey said: "The drive for biofuel is one of the major factors that have
contributed to food crisis world wide, between 2008 and 2009." This came about
because five per cent of grains, which can feed a village for a year were used
to fuel machines.

He cited an example in Swaziland, where a company called D 1 Oils Jatropha,
convinced local farmers to cultivate the plant because it does not need plenty
water to thrive.

Mr Bassey said the farmers who took the bait, later found out that they had to
water the plant on regular basis.

"For a continent that has water shortage, this is surely an avoidable problem."

He said the time had come for the continent to explore other sources of
renewable energy, such as solar and wind power.

Ms Cheryl Agyepong, Programme Co-ordinator of FOE said the drive for biofuels as
alternative renewable energy had increased as the world was running short of
fossil resources.

She said currently, the European Union had set a mandatory target of about five
per cent of motor fuel from biofuels by 2010, while the US was aiming at 28.4
billion litres of the energy by 2012.

Ms Agyepong said the notion by Europeans that Africa and Asia had vast marginal
lands for the cultivation of Jatropha was not true.

She said in 2008, a senior World Bank economist in a report stated that biofuels
accounted for 75 per cent of food price increases globally.

Ms Agyepong expressed worry about several biofuel plantations that have been
earmarked for Africa, where the people are suffering from food insecurity. GNA

http://allafrica.com/stories/200906010690.html

D1 Oils calls on FoE to open up a real debate on jatropha

Written by Giles Clark, London
Monday, 01 June 2009

"We would have been happy to have shared our data and experience with FOE on the
performance of the [jatropha] crop, both in Swaziland and elsewhere", commented
D1 Oils today in a bullish response to the NGO's negative report on Friday. "FoE
did not offer us this opportunity. In our view this weakens what could have been
a useful addition to research on Jatropha."

The report from FoE on Friday, 'Jatropha: wonder crop?', called into question D1
Oil's trials of jatropha in Swaziland. However, in a staement to Biofuel Review
today, Graham Prince, the company's spokesman said; "D1 is committed to an open
debate on fuel crops based on good science."

"We would agree with many of their conclusions concerning the performance of the
crop in that country to date. Jatropha planting in Swaziland has delivered
disappointing results and our Jatropha planting joint venture with BP, D1-BP
Fuel Crops Limited, took the decision to withdraw from Swaziland as part of the
reorganisation of the business that is currently underway", said Prince.

Prince was clear that the FoE report was misleading in terms of D1's position on
jatropha. "In its report FoE has unfortunately drawn on out-of-date or
inaccurate information when representing D1’s claims for Jatropha", said
Prince.  "In particular, we have never claimed that Jatropha will grow on all
marginal or waste land, nor have we any operations in Saudi Arabia to explore
planting in the desert. We have made very clear in our recent materials that
marginal land is likely to deliver only marginal yields. We have never claimed
that Jatropha is a plant-and-forget crop."

He continued; "Jatropha requires water, fertiliser and, when planted as a
monocrop on any scale, protection from pests and disease. We are investing
significantly in research into the optimal level of inputs for different
planting regions. Furthermore, sustainable planting of Jatropha is a priority
for D1. We monitor closely how farmers are planting the crop and we do not
encourage planting on food grade land. We aim to work to the highest standards
in partnership with local people."

"We disagree fundamentally with FOE’s conclusion that Jatropha development
should be halted because not enough is known of the crop," argued Prince.
"Jatropha is a new energy crop and subject to agricultural risk. Improvements
that have been delivered in agriculture, as in other fields of human
development, depend on taking appropriate risk to advance understanding and
experience. We will make little progress in the field of renewable energy if we
halt the development of potentially sustainable crops because of 'unknown
unknowns'" he concluded.

http://www.biofuelreview.com/content/view/1918/1/

Government should review ethanol policy: Kalam

Gandhinagar, May 28 : Former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has urged the
government to review its ethanol policy to encourage more sugar producers to
start producing biofuel on a commercial scale.

"The sugar producers need sufficient incentives from the government to be
encouraged to produce a large quantity of ethanol," Kalam said while addressing
the first convocation ceremony of the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University here
late Wednesday.

"The prime issue is the pricing of the ethanol, which is not attractive enough
for the sugar producers," said the former president.

At present, the government allows blending of five percent ethanol with petrol.
In the next phase, this may go up to 10 percent, giving a boost to the industry,
Kalam hoped.

He added that an increase in the demand of biofuel would help farmers who
cultivate jatropha and algae, from which the fuel is largely being produced in
India, earn more income.

According to Kalam, the argument that using plants for biofuel production would
lead to food crisis is a "wrong notion".

"This is certainly not true for India which has nearly 60 million hectares of
waste land. Research is required to determine the particular plant variety which
would give maximum yield of jatropha seeds and maximum yield of oil from the
seeds," he added.

On the country's power generation scenario, the former president said India's
capacity had to increase to 400,000 MW by 2030 from the current level of 150,000
MW.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in his address said the state had done well
industrially and commercially and should now strive to shine in the academic
field. "I invite the youth of the country to adopt Gujarat as their
'karmabhoomi' (place of work)," he said.

A total of 119 students who completed their MBA in Petroleum Management were
conferred with the degrees.

--- IANS

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-45874.html

[Comments: "India which has nearly 60 million hectares of waste land."

Kalam Sahab, this socalled wasteland supports lives of millions of flora and
fauna in India. Our Traditional Healers collect herbs from this socalled
wasteland and save lives of millions every year. Be careful while saying these
lands as wasteland. Wastelands are not dead lands. It will become dead lands if
you plant exotic Jatropha monoculture. By the way, it is trend in India that
nuclear scientists by education, talk less on their subject and more on plant
sciences, of which they have no basic qualification, these days.

"Research is required to determine the particular plant variety which would give
maximum yield of jatropha seeds"

Comments: It means Jatropha planted in India in thousands of hactares without
any research? In general, first research is conducted and then project is
launched but in case of Jatropha, after its failure this gentleman is suggesting
research.


"According to Kalam, the argument that using plants for biofuel production would
lead to food crisis is a "wrong notion"."

Comments: Please visit to heart of India and meet people in ground. You will
find large number of farmers displaced due to Jatropha promotion. Jatropha is
spreading in biodiversity hot spots as invasive species. If you are willing to
come in ground I am ready to sponsor your India Darshan.

By the way, in your lectures you motivated Indian children to plant Jatropha and
also it is due to your motivation they planted Jatropha in schools and
surroundings. Now thousands of children are coming to hospitals due to Jatropha
poisoning. In India, there is no trend to held responsible for such crime but on
moral basis, I am expecting you to visit hospitals to meet victims. Are you
coming Kalam chacha?]

Dear Group Members,

    Please visit this site

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha_curcas

Every line of this factsheet is misleading. Through pictures I can prove it.
Here are few examples. There is need to correct misleading information in this
site.


The plant can grow in wastelands and grows on almost any terrain, even on
gravelly, sandy and saline soils.

My comments: When Jatropha grown in above mentioned condition this happened.
This is socalled model Jatropha plantation in Chhattisgarh.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=101294&subjectType=E&subjectId=1297


Jatropha curcas thrives on a mere 250 mm (10 in) of rain a year, and only during
its first two years does it need to be watered in the closing days of the dry
season.

My Comments: Jatropha growing near water source is much better than same species
growing far from water source. Jatropha cultivation requires lots of water for
good yield.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=105578&subjectType=E&subjectId=1297

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=106679&subjectType=E&subjectId=1297

Ploughing and planting are not needed regularly,


My Comments: If regular weeding is not done this happens. Jatropha as crop plant
requires much care and investment for good production. Mortality in Jatropha is
very high. There is continuous need to replace dead plants with new ones.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=105597&subjectType=E&subjectId=1297

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=105564&subjectType=E&subjectId=1297

The use of pesticides and other polluting substances are not necessary, due to
the pesticidal and fungicidal properties of the plant.

My Comments: Jatropha curcas is attacked by dozens of insects and pathogens.
Much pesticide is required for its successful cultivation.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=106658&subjectType=E&subjectId=1297

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=106654&subjectType=E&subjectId=1297

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO3096&res=640

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=105577&subjectType=E&subjectId=1297

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1603&res=640

http://pick14.pick.uga.edu/mp/20p?see=I_PAO1629&res=640



* Nuts

     Sometimes roasted and eaten, although they are purgative.


My comments: Jatropha has taken many lives and affected thousands of children
worldwide. It is shocking to see the above statement in reputed sites like
wikipedia.


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1

NGO kicks against Jatropha production

Accra, May 28, GNA- The Chairman of Friends of the Earth (FOE), a
non-governmental organisation, has challenged African leaders to kick against
attempts by the West, to use the Jatropha plant and agricultural-based renewable
energy generation alternatives, at the expense of food production.

Mr Nnimmo Bassey stressed: "The time has come for our political leaders, to make
a firm decision on moves by the advance countries, to scramble for so called
marginal lands for the cultivation of Jatrohpa and other crops for bio fuel."

Speaking at a day's workshop in Accra, on Thursday, Mr Bassey urged African
countries, to resist the "sugar coated" decision, since it would further deepen
the continent's food and water crises, sanitation problems, poverty and land
tenure difficulties.

The workshop was a side event organised by FOE to "discuss challenges pertaining
to biofuel development," "myth of marginal land right" and "global food crisis,
policy option for Africa". Mr Bassey said: "The drive for biofuel is one of the
major factors that have contributed to food crisis world wide, between 2008 and
2009. This came about because five per cent of grains, which can feed a village
for a year were used to fuel machines."

He cited an example in Swaziland, where a company called D 1 Oils Jatropha,
convinced local farmers to cultivate the plant because it does not need plenty
water to thrive.

Mr Bassey said the farmers who took the bait, later found out that they had to
water the plant on regular basis. "For a continent that has water shortage this
is surely an avoidable problem."

He said the time had come for the continent to explore other sources of
renewable energy, such as solar and wind power. Ms Cheryl Agyepong, Programme
Co-ordinator of FOE said the drive for biofuels as alternative renewable energy
had increased as the world was running short of fossil resources.

She said currently, the European Union had set a mandatory target of about five
per cent of motor fuel from biofuels by 2010, while the US was aiming at 28.4
billion litres of the energy by 2012. Ms Agyepong said the notion by Europeans
that Africa and Asia had vast marginal lands for the cultivation of Jatropha was
not true. She said in 2008, a senior World Bank economist in a report stated
that biofuels accounted for 75 per cent of food price increases globally.

Ms Agyepong expressed worry about several biofuel plantations that have been
earmarked for Africa, where the people are suffering from food insecurity. 28
May 09
Source:
GNA

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/regional/artikel.php?ID=162843

Dear Group Members,

    I am forwarding some useful Jatropha articles. You can note that these
research articles are not searchable through search engines including Google.
You can understand "the pressure" of rich Jatropha lobby.

Jatropha Fever.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=879&page=-2


Let’s come forward to save wildlife from poisonous Jatropha.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=3099&page=-2


New observations related to Jatropha failure in India.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=3097&page=-2


Now Jatropha is showing its (bad) colors in India.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=3078&page=-2


Planning of FEW, Problems for generations

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=843&page=-2


Status of Jatropha curcas in year 2022 in India.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=3082&page=-2


That is why common people oppose Jatropha plantation.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=1868&page=-2


Visit to plantations and see Jatropha failure by your own eyes.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=3081&page=-2


So ask to Jatropha lobby if they are true to their big claims then why they are
not allowing to reach these articles to common people?


Pankaj Oudhia

http://knol.google.com/k/pankaj-oudhia/pankaj-oudhia/3nerdtj3s9l79/1#