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Fossil fuels include oil, and coal. Formed over millions of years they are not renewable in a short time. In the process of being used for energy fossil fuels contributes to pollution which by extension negatively affects the environment and contributes to Climate Change.
Many countries dependent on fossil fuels are scrambling to find a solution.
In the quest to do so a number of countries including Morocco and are conducting research on a plant that is being heralded as one of, if not the best thing in green energy.
Our Reporter Carol Francis is in Morocco where she paid a visit to a farm where this wonder plant is being grown. She has more in this report.
Story starts with Standup here
Cue in… standup file 37
Cue in… The search for
Cue out…desertification
Carol Francis reporting from Morocco
The plant can live for up to forty years…. requires very little water and does not require pesticides to thrive.
At maturity the seeds, change from green to yellow.
When pressed, the seeds, which are highly toxic, produces 35-40 percent of oil extract more than five times the oil contained in corn. The oil can be can be used in a diesel car or as jet fuel.
But how much liters of oil can realistically be produced by a field of jatropha?.
The plants potential is attracting attention worldwide.
Jamaica which spends over 2 billion dollars on petroleum imports hopes to have 30% of its electricity generated from renewable sources by 2030. Among the projects being looked at is jatropha.
The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica is currently doing research on jatropha which they’ve planted on mined-out bauxite lands IN St. Elizabeth ..
For the Earth Journalism Network… I’’m carol Francis reporting from Morocco for PBCJ.. The Peoples station
