Thursday, March 5, 2009

Jatropha Cultivation - A Mixed Blessing in India

India has led the world in cultivating Jatropha to produce Biodiesel but the experience has not always been a good one as this article suggests: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45949 Cows have died from eating the toxic jatropha leaves (there is a new patented British technology, though, that makes jatropha oilcake safe for cattle feed) and all sorts of teething problems have been encountered. While jatropha is a good bridge to a fossil fuel free economy, this article only highlights the need for more concerted effort in installing advanced wind turbines, tidal powerplants, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic plants etc. None of those would be eaten by cows which get poisoned to death.

Let us hope that this happens sooner rather than later in India. The country needs to do this - India's people deserve to live in a clean environment.

No comments: