Archive for the ‘Biofuels’ category
Ethical and Social Implications of New Biofuels
By Joyce Tait and Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka*
Biofuels were first pioneered in the early days of car manufacturing.
Cheap fossil fuels soon overtook them as our fuel of choice, but concerns about climate change have revived interest in them — global biofuel production doubled between 2000 and 2007, and is expected to double again by 2011.
‘First generation’ biofuels, [...]
Corruption, Counterfeits Threaten Kenya’s Green Energy Drive
An announcement this week by prime minister Raila Odinga that the Kenyan government planned to provide free to the public energy saving light bulbs as part of efforts to address growing energy requirements is stirring the country’s alternative energy market.
A new trend marking a shift to alternative energy products by industry players is quickly emerging.
Stores [...]
Africa Gains as Trends in Green Energy Investment Shift
Africa gained significantly in 2008 as some $155 billion was invested in clean energy companies and projects worldwide, not including large hydro, a new report says.
Quite a number of these investments were in developing nations, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa included.
However, in comparison, investments in other developing regions of the world, notably Latin America and [...]
Mixed Views on Sustainability of Jatropha as Biofuel
By Dave Harcourt*
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.
Clarity on What Jatropha Can Deliver
At the recent Africa Biofuels Conference in Midrand South Africa, Vincent [...]
Sustainer, the Biodiesel Retrofit Ideal for Africa
By Bas Vlugt*
The Sustainer is a unique solution to produce fuel and electricity in remote rural areas, for example in the African countryside where only 5 to 20 percent of the population have electricity.
In many of these situations, access to energy would facilitate development, higher productivity and better education. Moreover, locally available resources can be [...]
