Biofuels: Grow-your-own fuel
What are the options available to us? While major research projects are in full swing in
different parts of the world, bio-fuels arefast grabbing the attention of the world
community.
 But…beware
of the pitfalls
Sound like wonder oils, don’t they? But if we are to go the biofuel way in India, we
need to tread carefully.
Why?
Because land is at a premium in India. Every patch of soil is used here—either for
crops, or to grow fodder.
Even the driest, most infertile tracts provide livelihood for communities, who literally
live off these lands. So on whose land will these oil-yielding varieties be grown? Because
biofuels are already being seen as a hugely profitable venture by the industries. And they
are out to grab lands in states with large stretches of ‘wastelands’, like
Chattisgarh. This may spell doom for our farmers and shepherds who earn their rotifrom
these seemingly useless tracts. |
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| The challenge will be to ensure that
industries--lured by the oil-producing plants -don't jump into the bandwagon and bypass
the local communties! |
NOW, LET
ME TELL YOU ABOUT A COUPLE OF THESE VARIETIES THAT ARE NOW BEING TRIED OUT IN OUR OWN
COUNTRY.
 Gobar Gyan
Jatropha-liquid gold: The seeds of a plant called jatropha (Jatropha curcas to
scientists; ratanjyot in Hindi) and pongamia (Pongamia pinnata; karanj in Hindi) yield oil
that, after pro-cessing, makes biodiesel. The system of production is simple.
Oil is extracted and put through a process called transesterifi-cation (to convert it to
fatty acid esters, the chemical description of biodiesel, by incubation with alcohol
and alkali); thismakes it a suitable blend for petroleum-derived diesel. The
jatropha blend reduces greenhouse gas emission by half. Scientists claim that as the
conversion process improves with time, emission level will be zero!
Jatropha is also ideally suited to India. Why? Because it is a hardy plant that can to
grow in abundance in dry, arid zones. In other words, the lands that cannot be used for
growing crops can be reclaimed and a solid farmer production base can be built up.
Activity:
1. Find out if the state forest department can supply jatropha saplings to your school?
Which other agencies are providing jatropha seedlings?
2. Identify a space in your
school compound where you can plant them. Remember, Jatropha does not need a lot of water,
nor does it require constant tending. |
Gobar Gyan
Ethanol-tasty car punch: It is made by fermenting
molasses or gurh, a product of sugarcane. Ethanol, CH3CH2OH, is an alco-hol, a group of
chemical compounds whose molecules contain a hydroxyl group, OH, bonded to a carbon atom.
Ethanol melts at -114.1°C, boils at 78.5°C, and has a density of 0.789 g/mL at 20°C.
Its low freezing point has made it useful for low-tempera-ture purposes, such as for
anti-freeze in automobile radiators. It has been made since ancient times by the
fermentation of sugars.
Zymase, an enzyme from yeast, changes the simple sugars
into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Starches from potatoes, corn, wheat, and other plants can
also be used in the production of ethanol by fermentation. However, the starches must
first be broken down into simple sugars.
Ethanol is easily blended up to at least 10 per cent with
modern conventional gasoline vehicles, and to much higher levels in vehi-cles
that have been modified to accommodate it. The Indian
government launched a programme to promote ethanol-blended petrol
in 2003. Besides providing a source of lesspolluting
fuel, this is designed to help sugar-cane farmers to get better returns from the fields.
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