Going Green to Keep Afloat

We all have heard what effects Global Warming will have on our Earth, if we don’t take preventive steps now. The likelihood is that as the sea level rises (as the Arctic cap melts), Bangldesh will be slowly be submerged until no land is left.

What can we do now, to prevent this from happening. The world is searching for options. One option is to change our energy sources using those that give off low carbon emissions, like fossil fuel and bio fuel.

What is bio fuel? Wikipedia defines it as, “Biofuel (if cultivated, then also called agrofuel or agrifuel) can be broadly defined as solid, liquid, or gas fuel consisting of, or derived from recently dead biological material, most commonly plants. This distinguishes it from fossil fuel, which is derived from long dead biological material.”

Basically, it is fuel that is derived from plant sources. While the Goverment of Bangladesh is looking into bio fuel options, there are concerns about food security and how bio fuel may impact it. In December 2007 the first Non Resident Bangladeshi conference was held at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel and this was one of the hot topics covered there. Below is an article that recently appeared in Probe Magazine on this topic. It is noteworthy that many of Bangladesh’s neighboring countries are already working with the endorsement of their governments to harness this incredible resource. Is non edible, drought resistant Jatropha the right answer for Bangladesh?

http://www.probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?index=2&contentId=3896

While global politics has changed with the growing concern of fuel energy, the United States and other developed countries are searching for alternative energy resources. Ample opportunities exist for Bangladesh to explore and exploit bio-fuel energy resources not only to fulfill its own demands, but also to export to other developed nations. In fact, a mere seven lacs hectors can produce more than enough diesel fuel and petroleum to fulfill our own demand, and will thereby create earning and saving potential of a huge amount of foreign currencies through exports. Additionally, it may also serve to ensure women’s empowerment and poverty elimination. Environmental experts say the fertile land of Bangladesh is even friendlier for the cultivation of non-edible drought resistant Jatropha bio fuel than many other countries in Asia. Unfortunately, Bangladesh has fallen behind and is yet to pursue this golden opportunity. The harsh reality is that India has taken the leading role in producing Jatropha bio fuel with a huge success along with many other countries in Asia. Presently, 20% of India’s diesel comes from Jatropha bio fuel and the country is in the process of ensuring its total needs of fuel energy through bio fuel.

An expert on Jatropha bio fuel energy resources, Ehsan Imdad, PhD has said “Our waste land must be utilized for the economic development of the country. Our abandoned vast wastelands can be the foundation of new rural economic development by producing cost effective diesel and petroleum from non-edible, drought resistant, environment friendly Jatropha bio fuel. He added that economical (low priced) bio fuel energy will be the key element to improve the country’s agriculture sector and rural life in near future. Bio fuel energy will undoubtedly play a key role in controlling the market price of necessary commodities.”

Ehsan Imdad (former NRB of USA) attended the first NRB conference (held in Dhaka in December of 2007) and presented his dream of success in producing bio fuel energy in Bangladesh. Most importantly, Imdad’s presentation preceded that of a prominent agro scientist and food security expert from Australia, Abed Chowdhury, PhD. who later defended the necessity of bio fuel energy resources in Bangladesh. Dr. Chowdhury urged the government to urgently take initiatives for this alternative fuel security”. Jatropha bio fuel energy resources will positively contribute and complement the natural food growth and production of the country as it is non-edible and Jatropha trees grow virtually everywhere including sandy cost lines, rail & road sides in a semi-tropical country like Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a developing nation with an ever-growing need for energy. Presently, Bangladesh has an annual demand for fuel of around 37 lac tons, including 24 lac tons of diesel and imports the entire amount from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and India.

Experts say that 7 to 8 lacs (800,000) hectares of waste land will fulfill today and tomorrow’s total fuel energy demands. This is due to the fact that as the Jatropha trees grow bigger, their continuous production will also increase. The Jatropha tree has a productive life of 45 years.

Although branding Bangladesh will not be as easy as it was for many countries, the timely initiative and decision by the Bangladesh government to begin Jatropha plantation will go a long way to change the face of Bangladesh and brand it as a liquid gold producing country. And is more likely to re-brand Bangladesh from its existing image of poverty, flood, (although there are more than twenty countries in world poorer to Bangladesh and for sure, it is not the most flood prone country), political instability and micro credit. Bangladesh has many more resources available than commonly assumed.

It is to be mentioned that as of now India procures 20% of its fuel energy demand from Jatropha bio fuel and is planning on fulfilling 100% of its needs from Jatropha bio fuel in the future. According to various sources, more than 36 developing countries are presently cultivating Jatropha trees in Asia, Africa and South America.

In search of bio fuel energy resources, Bangladesh may even have potential in alternative fuel energy resources from algae, as well although unlike Jatropha bio fuel, algae still needs more research.