BIODIESEL

Biodiesel has the best options for replacing fossil fuels. On this moment it can be produced in large volumes and, without restrictions, mixed with conventional diesel fuel. The quality of diesel, produced from seeds, is superior to the quality of the slurry that the oil companies supply as diesel. This makes it possible to mix the biodiesel to the conventional diesel in any amount. Most diesel driven vehicles can use 100% biodiesel without any problem.
Despite the success of hydrogen, hydrogen is not an option as alternative fuel for the near future, due to environmental reasons. Hydrogen is not growing from trees, but is produced by catalytic reforming of natural gas, with carbon dioxide as main side product. Driving on hydrogen has a lower fuel efficiency and higher carbon dioxide emissions than when using regular gasoline.

Alienated politicians and environmentalists act in a dumb way on the current success of the biodiesel. Everyone only considers it´s own interest.
Environmentalists indicate that rainforrest is sacrificed to meet the increasing demand of rapeseed. This is a valid concern. Introduction of biodiesel does not require rainforest as there is worldwide sufficient alternative agricultural area for supplying sufficient rapeseed.

Politicians proclaim that, due to the increasing demand of (meat) consumption in the far east, combined with an increased production of rapeseed a food shortage is created. This is according to the conventional colonial view of the west, a bad thing for the poor of this world.
The problems in food production of Africa is mainly caused by the intervention of the West. Agricultural is an industry where production is influenced by external causes like the weather. If the European crops are poor, the farmer is compensated by increasing prices.
When in Africa the harvest is poor, massive food from the West is dumped in the form of food aid. This free food supply further reduces the prices, which forces the farmers to give up farming and to leave the countryside to try their luck in the big cities. This process leads to verelendung and to an abandoned and unused agricultural area.

The current rising crop prices maybe don´t help the poorest people, however it gives new prospective to the farmers of Africa. If crop prices are high enough, it becomes worthwhile using the desert on a large scale for producing rapeseed. In stead of destroying the rainforest, the advancing of the desert can be effectively stopped.
A major problem is the political stability of many African states. For the time being, a number of stable states like Ghana could play a leading role in the production of vegitable oil.

JM April 2008

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