biofuels and aeroplanes

[Rose Bridger]

Will biofuels feed aeroplanes?

The prospect of using biofuels for aviation had seemed remote, with the aviation industry itself estimating that it will be dependent on fossil fuels for at least the next 30 years. Yet there are initiatives aiming to feed planes with biofuels. Air New Zealand is seeking approval for a test flight for a Boeing 747-400, using jatropha in one of the aircraft’s four engines. Jatropha is a plant that grows up to 3 metres high with berries that yield up to 40 per cent oil. The jatropha fuel is being sourced from Africa and India.

Land is being allocated for jatropha in many African countries. The usual claims that the biofuel does not compete with food production are being made. Apparently, jatropha grows on degraded land, and can tolerate poor soils with little water supply which are not suitable for food crops. In Nigeria, jatropha growing is supported by the Centre for Jatropha Promotions and Biofuels, and non-governmental organisation Green Shield of Nations is trialling jatropha crops in 11 states in the north of the country. I would like to network with communities affected by these developments and know your views on how this infrastructure will affect food sovereignty and sustainability.

[Louis Loizou]

Thanks Rose. All of this adds ammunition to the greater cause of food security.

Can I appeal to all World Family members on the ground in Nigeria and across Africa through your contacts to communicate with Rose on this matter. We need to know if the land being used is viable for growing food of any kind or if it is truly useless.

Thanks to all members.

Louis - group co-coordinator

[Jemilehin Oluwaseun Opeyemi]

Hello Rose. I have being trying for long in order to say something on the issue of bio fuel you opened up. I want you to understand the fact that Jatropha can strife in any land it may interest you to know that it is planted in my compound because of its medicinal use. But the usual claims that the biofuel does not compete with food production are being made. Apparently, jatropha grows on degraded land, and can tolerate poor soils with little water supply which are not suitable for food crop is not a tenable argument. In other words since there are lots of plant, useful for human as well as animal consumption that can strife on this same type of land therefore biofuel is a treat to food crop production.

[Louis Loizou]

Thank you Jemilehin for clarifying that point that there are many types of crops for both human and animal consumption that can be grown on this land. This is a vital fact because every metre of land for food is necessary in many countries and to turn it over to biofuel production under the pretence that the land used is useless for food production is unacceptable with the current extremely high food prices.

[Rose Bridger]

Another possibility for biofuels for transport including planes was reported today in Guardian newspaper. Apparently, algae is being developed as a fuel, from single celled organisms to seaweed. The developers claim algae does not compete with food sources, but although humans may not be major consumers of algae (though some do eat seaweed and the single cell algae are used as dietary supplements) other species do eat it and its part of the food chain and web of life. Here is link to the article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/31/biofuels.travelan...

[Louis Loizou]

Hi Rose.
Another interesting fact is that Algae, apart from supplying certain super-foods such as Spirulina, which can play a vital part in replacing elements lost through unnatural farming methods. algae are also as important as rainforests in converting carbon-dioxide into oxygen, thus reducing global warming.
Cheers,
Louis.

[Makanjuola Olaseinde ARIGBEDE]

Dear Rose:

Sorry to have been so late in responding to this important observation. I have been rather absent from the famiy for some time, but better ate than never. As you rightly point out in your contribution, the Agrofuel issue is a very serious one for us in the global south, not simply because what should be prime agricultural land is being stolen, and often by governments who should protect then for national food sovereignty, but because there is a deep ignorance, fed by misinformation peddled by governments and their Agribusiness friends, on this matter. About two weeks ago, we held a workshop on the question in collaboration with ERA and Friends of The earth, Nigeria adn it was obvious that most of those present at the event were being exposed to the truth for the vrey first time. Unfortunately, even NGOs that are often counted amnongst those who labour to protect the earth and human interests, are now being lulled into the production of Jatropha to make money and not recognising that cutting one's nose to pamper one's face is a form of madness. USMEFAN is currently locked in an advocacy battle with the Ekiti State Government that is releasing large tracts, not of degraded land, mind you, but of fertile forested land that should be reserved for production of badly needed food or reserved for future generations to be able to fed themselves too. Those fighting against this abomination are getting into the fray behind government and their friends and we have a great deal of catching up to do. Howeve, hope must not be lost as once we manage to arouse the people to this danger, succes will surely be ours. We already have women members of our chapters in Ebonyi state, taking the struggle to the Church and pressing the clergy to pronounce planting of jatropha, a cardinal sin against humanity. In Ekiti state, we are mobilising the Roman Catholic Church and other civil society organisations plus the media, to persuade the governor of the state that this sale or gift of our precious land to a Chinese company for the production of Agrrofuel Feedstock will put his name down in the annals of history as one of those who defiled our agricultural patrimony. Perhaps, if we can find the time, it would be useful to continue this dialogue on Agrofuels for some time longe on the family site so that, not only would people be properly informed but that they join in th eactual battle on a named battle front, to support the ongoing struggle here in teh south. One area ehere you and others could be immediately engaged in the struggle is to search for information on thi subject, since it is not so easy for this to be done in the south, like in Nigeria where using a cyber cafe is not the easiest or mostpainless undertaking that anyone could embark upon. I should know this, seeing how we must travel from my village to Ile-Ife, the closest university town, to use internet facilities and even then, many a times, one gets to Ife to find that due to a rainstorm, the server has gone on vacation or electricity is simply not available, etc. So, let us collaborate actively, keep the subject on the front burner, alert the world to this crime and encourage all and sundry to join us in restoring land to food production.

I have a great deal more to say on this subject and a great deal more to learn. Let us link arms and bar the road to industrial agrofuel production, globally, not just in the south.

Thank you and God bless.

'Seinde

[Louis Loizou]

Hi Rose (and Seinde next time you get access) despite very heavy commitments locally I am keen to investigate this issue more deeply because you have added great weight to it in your writing my brother Seinde and we must carry some of this. Please tell me perhaps in a simple telegraphic form what exactly I can do in terms of research, who to communicate with etc.

Interestingly enough at the W.F. Brighton meeting the other day the idea of using a contact to get Richard Branson on side to help us with both flights and bands he might be able to fly out for the Festival and to contribute to the biofuel debate came up and this is being pursued. By all accounts he is a man with a conscience and I am sure he is aware that the biofuel alternative he started to pioneer is no more sustainable than oil products and must have a more immediate effect on food supplies.

So Emma, if you are reading this, all the more reason to get to see Mr. Branson asap. Please keep us informed.

[Louis Loizou]

One thing we have the luxury to do in the UK is to engage in free speech without fear, and so I must correct the above. I had forgotten this had been written until I spotted it having read Oladunni's excellent expose of an aspect of Biofuel behaviour that I had not realised.

I was wrong about Richard Branson. He apparently, according to our researches, has formed a branch of Virgin called Virgin Biofuels.

He could never be a sponsor, and I withdraw everything I have said above. He is not engaging with reality after all. He is part of the problem, not the solution.

[Rose Bridger]

Hello Seinde,
I hope I can help with biofuels research as, although I am far away, computer access is easy.
I would not be surprised if biofuel plantations in areas like Ekiti are linked with other infrastrucutre like logistics parks, agrobusiness, oil and other export development, and airports. So I if you let me know about any areas with development underway or planned I may be able to get more information on what is being constructed, the financing etc. I have looked at cargo airports in Gusau, Ogun and Asaba where planned food exports - a lot of meat. This could be linked with biofuel plans.
Other airlines such as Gulf Air are looking to use biofuels. In Asia it could be linked with new palm plantations.
Best wishes,
Rose

[Oladunni Aina ARIGBEDE]

Subject: The Biofuel Palaver.

Hi Rose:

The discussion on whether or not to postpone the Global Youth Festival is very hot at this time, never-the-less, I must crave members’ indulgence to allow me send in some of my thoughts on the Biofuel palaver.

Food is the strongest weapon of enslavement in the world. Where a country cannot provide food adequately and at the right time for its people, it is forced to be at the mercy of others for sustenance. Its right to make choices would be seriously compromised since he who pays the piper dictates the tune.

The Agrofuel issue, I believe, spreads its tentacles to other areas beyond the question of land and the planting of Jatropha. We know that crops like maize, sorghum, and cassava which are the staple foods for many people in the world today are being genetically modified to produce large quantities of ethanol and we also know that these GE crops can and will contaminate similar crops that are planted for human consumption. Even if we accept that some so-called unproductive land should be left for producing crops like Jatropha, how do we deal with obviously productive land that is taken up for the planting of GE cassava, maise, sorghum, etc? And how do we prevent the genetic contamination that would inevitably cause massive starvation since these crops will not be edible! Do we really not care – to consider the ripple effects of this effort on humans? Perhaps we are just concermed about “innovation” in isolation?! As it is, the world is still struggling to correct or reverse the after effect of our uncaring attitude to our environment which we now call climate change.

Years back, and even up to the present, the world has spent and is still spending billions upon billions of dollars fighting to alleviate poverty, without paying critical attention to the causes, with a view to actually removing these roots causes. Here again, we are faced with another major shift in human behaviour and action, which is counter and unfriendly to humans and nature, in the name of “innovation”. This action is likely to cause an unprecedented poverty striken and starved society the world will ever record. Like it happened before, and unfortunately, it will continue to happen, Africa and other developing countries will again be the most badly affected since they are usually the testing and dumping grounds for all the “unholy” scientific research of the North!

Our scientists, our geniuses all over can put their heads together to invent as well as find solutions that would not destroy or threaten nature and those that these discoveries are supposed to serve! Or must our every move and every discovery be profit oriented and self distructive for humanity?

Most of our vital necessities are given to us by natrure, as free gifts! Let us learn from, as well as emulate nature, and the world will be the better for it!

TODAY, our leaders allow themselves to be blinded about TOMORROW, our future. They forget that the tape worm that is snuffing life out of the dog will eventually experience the same fate! This is the law of nature – we are all interdependent.

[Rose Bridger]

Thank you Oladunni, there is I agree so much more to consider with biofuels, like the other crops like maize which are used for food. Your message is strong and inspirational.

Here a few recent useful articles - this from the Guardian points out that the entire land mass of Europe would be needed to fuel all the world's 13,000 commercial planes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/27/biofuel-boeing-ca...

Plus good article in Ecologist
http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=1967

And article claiming WWF and other NGO's supporting research of biofuels for planes, but would not take this as the full story as it is an industry article.
http://www.skycontrol.net/business-general-aviation/boeing-joins-av...

thanks Louis for point on Richard Branson, Virgin and biofuels. I share your concerns over the firm's development of biofuels. But if World Family did decide to refuse, or accept, their support I would understand, as it can be hard to get support and enough money for NGO activity for positive global change.

Best wishes,
Rose
http://www.rosebridger.net