Jatropha now runs out of steam as a viable green bio-fuel

By MAORE ITHULA

A plant touted as the perfect source of renewable energy is actually six times more potent in escalating the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than fossil fuel, research has established.

It has been established that Jatropha curcas, or simply jatropha (that is supposedly grown in a semi-arid areas), cannot produce enough bio-fuel to mitigate environmental degradation that would result from clearing vegetation cover in a place to pave the way for its cultivation.

The findings contradict the belief that the plant does not require a lot of water to thrive, thus making it ideal in revitalising vegetation covers in arid areas, while acting as a source of renewable energy.

The survey was carried out last year on a farm in Tana River County and was commissioned by ActionAid-Kenya in conjunction with Nature Kenya.

The revelations come as the prices of petroleum products continue to rise, mainly because of the political crisis prevailing in Libya and other oil-producing countries in the Middle East.

The compelling report analysed whether bio-fuels made from jatropha grown at a proposed plantation in the Dakatcha Woodlands in the Kenyan coast would save emissions when compared to fossil fuels.

So how would jatropha cultivation in Dakatcha produce more carbon dioxide than fossil fuels?

The main reason is that the dry forest of Dakatcha absorbs millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide annually as the massive vegetation processes its food through photosynthesis. More of the gases are also stored in the soil. On the other hand, a jatropha farm cannot take up and use or store a small fraction of carbon dioxide that is being taken in by the forest, neither can the bio-fuel produced thereof offset the deficit.

Greenhouse gases

Taking into account the emissions produced throughout the production and consumption process, the study found that jatropha production in this particular place would help to emit between 2.5 and six times more greenhouse gases.

However, independent studies conducted on the cultivation of the plant indicate that the effect would be different if the plant were grown on bare dryland but the cost would be too high because the plant requires a lot water as opposed to past belief that it is drought-resistant.

Besides the cultivation of jatropha failing to yield the required results as far as carbon dioxide emissions are concerned, the plant touches off another controversy.

This is because Dakatcha woodlands have more than 20,000 people who regard the area as their ancestral home. Actually, the Watha and Giriama groups of the larger Miji Kenda community live there. The people are mainly peasants and gatherers in the vast land.

If the entire woodlands were to be cleared, the researchers observe in the report, these indigenous people would be evicted, thus destroying their livelihoods and culture.

Needless to say, such an eviction with or without compensation would also have a domino effect on other ecosystems elsewhere.

Tim Rice, an expert on bio-fuels at ActionAid says of the plant: "Bio-fuels are far from being the miracle climate-change cure they were thought to be. Like most other bio-fuels, jatropha products could actually end up increasing carbon dioxide emissions. The Dakatcha case shows how bio-fuel plantations can rob entire communities of their land, homes and jobs."

On the other hand, Dakatcha woodlands’ biodiversity have a global outlook.

Threatened with extinction

The area is home to some wildlife classified as threatened species. These include, the Fischer’s turaco, the southern-banded snake eagle, Sokoke scops owl, and the Sokoke pipit. The Clarke’s weaverbird, which is found in only two other places on earth is also found there, and is threatened with extinction if the plantation goes ahead.

Commenting on the research, Dr Helen Byron, the senior international site casework officer at the French company RSPB that conducted the research says: "This study shows that not only would destroying Dakatcha for bio-fuels be an ecological disaster, it would be a climate disaster too. We found that emissions from these bio-fuels would be up to six times higher than fossil fuels.

"The proposed bio-fuel plantation will devastate the woodlands, driving the globally threatened Clarke’s weaverbird to extinction and depriving thousands of local people of their livelihoods.

The researcher argues that the project be shelved altogether.

Byron appeals to the United Kingdom Government and other European Union members to stop financing the project and others of its kind across the globe.

Much of the bio-fuel produced in Dakatcha is destined for Europe because of new European Union targets.