| Jatropha is an oilseed crop that grows well where | | | | - it is frost hardy (does not like hard freezes) |
| food crops will not grow. This article is about using | | | | - it does not exhaust the nutrients in the land |
| Jatropha seed oil for biodiesel production. | | | | - it does not require expensive crop rotation |
| I know all of you are wondering why I am writing | | | | - it does not require fertilizers |
| about a little known plant called "Jatropha Curcas". | | | | - it grows quickly and establishes itself easily |
| Well... it all has to do with making biodiesel and the | | | | - it has a high yield (Jatropha can yield about 1,000 |
| production of electricity using biodiesel as a fuel. | | | | barrels of oil per year per square mile - oil content |
| This is to inform you of a source of vegetable oil | | | | of the seed is 55-60%) |
| that is relatively unknown in the United States and | | | | - no displacement of food crops is necessary |
| North America. The European community has | | | | - it is great for developing countries in terms of |
| already seen the light as have some Asian, | | | | energy and jobs |
| African, Indian, and South American countries. | | | | - the biodiesel byproduct, glycerine, is profitable in |
| Running engines on vegetable oil is nothing new... | | | | itself |
| did you know that Rudolf Diesel originally designed | | | | - the waste plant mass after oil extraction can be |
| his engine to run on peanut oil? Maybe the US has | | | | used as a fertilizer |
| not seen the light yet because we are mostly | | | | - the plant itself recycles 100% of the CO2 |
| engaged in the growing of food crops and oils like | | | | emissions produced by burning the biodiesel |
| soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and peanut | | | | That's a whole lot of benefit with little or no |
| oil. All these oils are edible and thus fetch high | | | | disadvantages! |
| prices. After all, why should US farmers grow a | | | | The European Union biofuels directive requires a |
| completely inedible plant!? Used cooking oil is great | | | | minimum level of biofuels as a proportion of fuels |
| for the "do it yourself" biodiesel enthusiast, but | | | | sold in the European Union of 2% by 2005, 5.75% |
| there is not enough supply of used cooking oil to | | | | by 2010 and 20% by 2020. Of course, as the |
| supply a whole nation. | | | | President stated recently on TV, we don't have |
| This is where Jatropha comes in... | | | | any such energy program yet. And I doubt we |
| Jatropha has the following benefits when looked | | | | will anytime soon. The main green fuels will be |
| at from the fuel production angle: | | | | ethanol and biodiesel, and demand for biodiesel is |
| - it costs almost nothing to grow | | | | expected to be up to 10.5 billion litres just in |
| - it is drought resistant | | | | European countries by 2010. |
| - it can be grown almost anywhere - even in | | | | Folks... this "biodiesel" thing is going to happen |
| sandy, saline, or otherwise infertile soil | | | | whether you like it or not! I know there are a lot |
| - it is easy to propagate (a cutting simply pushed | | | | of farmers, entrepreneurs, and investors reading |
| into the ground will take root) | | | | this who can cash in on this biodiesl craze. They |
| - it is not invasive, or spreading, or damaging like | | | | are already doing it big time in Europe so it's just |
| kudzu | | | | a matter of time before it happens here. And by |
| - it is capable of stabilizing sand dunes, acting as a | | | | "it", I mean using Jatropha to make biodiesel. This |
| windbreak, and combating desertification | | | | industry will grow very quickly - start planting |
| - it naturally repels both animals and insects | | | | Jatropha TODAY and then start making biodiesel |
| - it lives for over 50 years producing seeds all the | | | | to generate your own electricity! |
| time | | | | |