On Friday I met with Regenatec, the renewable energy company based on Milton Park, Didcot, about whom I have blogged before. They were visited this year by Tony Blair, and have just won a prestigious innovation award. They have developed an innovative technology to convert diesel engines to run on pure plant oils as well still being able to operate on diesel. This is a great way of lowering the carbon footprint of a vehicle, and lots of buses, coaches and rubbish trucks are now using it.
Recently there has been a bit of a biofuel backlash. Environmentalists argue that biocrops replace food crops, and that rainforests are being cleared to make way for fuel crops. There is a point to the backlash - not all biofuels are the same, and there is a difference between non-sustainable and sustainable biofuel (just as there is, say, between non-fairtrade and fairtrade chocloate).
However, Regenatec bend over backwards to use sustainable biofuel. For example, CleanStar Energy, an Indian company that has partnered with Regenatec, is growing biofuels sustainably and ethically. I was shown video footage of Cleanstar’s R&D site in the Maharashtra district in India. The world bank had spent millions in this area trying to grow food crops and has given up due to sporadic rainfall and poor soil. The only things that grow naturally here are oil trees called Jatropha and Pongamia. So Cleanstar have planted around 100,000 tress on the landscape amongst the natural vegetation. Water comes from captured monsoon rain. The fact that these trees produce non-edible oils and are grown on wastelands blasts the food vs. fuel and cutting down the rainforests issue. And on top of that, growing biofuel trees generates significant jobs in rural parts of Africa and India.
It’s a real pity that on the day I visited Regenatec and met with CleanStar, the Friends of the Earth had made headline news in a local Bracknell paper condemning the local bus company operating on Regenatec’s technology. It was clear that no one had taken the time to actually find out the facts as Regenatec had just won a major national design award from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers for their technology AND sustainability!
We really need to take a balanced view on biofuels. Just like any industry, things can be done in a good or bad way, sustainably or unsustainably. Regenatec & CleanStar have nailed their colours to the mast by intending to become the world’s first ‘fairtrade fuel’ company. Simply condemning without offering a viable, pragmatic alternative does no one any favours. We should be supporting innovative UK technology like Regenatec’s to ensure we get viable & sustainable replacements in place before mineral oil really starts to become expensive as it eventually - and inevitably - becomes more scarce. The alternative to not using sustainable biofuels is to run our buses and trucks on fossil fuels and to wait for hydrogen (still predominantly produce by burning fossil fuel to get the required electricity!)
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Tizzy said on December 3rd, 2007 at 12:43 am:
Perhaps you can get someone from Regenatec to register on webcameron.informe.com and engage on its Science forum, preferably someone who can talk on a par with someone like me: willing, but without eg the Periodic Tables squatting in the brain for no particular reason.
For example, for me, Fairtrade means paying the producers a fair wage, and is not primarily about the environment. Big difference, but I may have got this wrong.
canvas said on December 3rd, 2007 at 4:32 pm:
The problem with fairtrade chocolate and fairtrade coffee is that it usually tastes horrible.
I wish I could find the enthusiasm to discuss biofuel - but I can’t
canvas said on December 4th, 2007 at 10:12 pm:
Ed, you might enjoy ‘THIS WEEK’ on Thursday - no doubt they will discuss ‘political art’.
Why don’t you interact with your blogging community?
Come on, play the game!
Sue said on December 4th, 2007 at 10:33 pm:
I agree with canvas, after all, I know for a fact that you read our comments
David Cameron interacts on his blog, and so does Iain Dale (remember your promise to him?!?), so why don’t you? Come on Ed, you know we’ll only nag otherwise
Tizzy said on December 5th, 2007 at 1:03 am:
I humbly beg to differ - DC doesn’t interact, he replies. Actually, we don’t even know if it is *he* that is replying; he used to video his comments, now it’s written replies with no further interaction thereafter. For all we know, it may be ghost-written.
At least there is evidence that Ed reads his own blog!
Embrace the technology and chat to us, Ed. None of us have been sectioned, to date, we don’t stalk - nothing to fear honestly.
Sue said on December 5th, 2007 at 6:19 pm:
Sorry Tizzy, you’re right, DC doesn’t interact on his site. I’d like to think that his replies are his own thoughts tho, even if he doesn’t personally type each word in - he is rather busy after all. But I’d be very upset if it was ever proven that he had no knowledge of what was being said in his name on his own site.
Tizzy said on December 5th, 2007 at 9:28 pm:
Hello? has my comment been removed?
canvas said on December 5th, 2007 at 9:44 pm:
David Cameron’s responses on Webcameron are definitely from him. I think what Tizzy means by ‘interactive’ is that DC may not go back to a thread after his intial reply.
DC used to reply by video which was fantastic. But if you study ‘the language’ and ‘the style’ it is perfectly clear the responses are genuine.
Sue said on December 5th, 2007 at 11:01 pm:
Thanks for the reassurances canvas - I’m too new to webcameron to know the ropes yet!
Maybe I should just stick to nagging Ed to post more and comment more
Tizzy said on December 6th, 2007 at 3:58 am:
‘David Cameron’s responses on Webcameron are definitely from him.’
Evidence? The language and style can be easily imitated. Not wishing to hijack this site further, I’ll reply more fully and write one for you on the other site.
And, did someone delete my comment? I would like to know, please.
————
Getting back to Ed’s original post, I note the invitation to Regenatec has not been taken up, to date. While I am sure they appreciate the name check, they might like to explain their position more fully.
Sue said on December 8th, 2007 at 12:55 am:
Tizzy - I had trouble posting a comment a while ago, and if you look at the blog, it’s all cock-eyed, with the links etc right down the bottom of the page, instead of along the side.
I’d guess there’s a problem with the site, rather than someone deleting your comment.
Tizzy said on December 11th, 2007 at 12:11 am:
Thanks Sue, just seen your comment.