Looks like coconut , smells like coconut must be ....fuel?
Most vehicles in PNG run on diesel fuel. "Only recently, imported diesel in the Pacific has become more expensive than the net value of exported coconut oil, suddenly making coconut oil a serious commodity option for internal use as biofuel."
This biofuel operation in Rabaul is making fuel, in a small shed, for its company vehicles .
This article and this one are quite interesting if you'd like to know more.
18 comments:
Jules, we're doing the same thing with corn here in the US and the price of corn keeps going up. There's doesn't seem to be much of a trade off - beside using corn for fuel when much of the worlk is starving seems a waste. Very interesting.
I'm afraid that it is a vicious circle too!
The more coconut oil used for fuel, the costlier it will become, but for now it's expedient and good on them!
Sunshine Coast Daily - Australia
Yes - I agree david and biting midge - the only solution is to invent a vehicle that can run on air. we have plenty of hot air here waiting to be used!!!!
I must admit, all economic arguments aside, that I like the smell of coconut. Imagine the perfumed streets...
Interesting what kinds of plants they're using for biofuel nowadays. I don't think we'd use our coconuts though — the market for virgin coconut oil is still very strong.
If only solar panels weren't so darned expensive. They'd be perfect for most equatorial countries.
I found this post very interesting...and when I first opened it my first thought was a robot with that top picture!
Good post!
I'm dead against this "corn for fuel" joke in the USA. The worst form of biofuel madness. This is not to say that biofule is mad. The Brazilians have got it right...the Americans have not.
Now....PNG/Rabual...my concern on this one is that the price of Bounty Bars in the UK will rise. That will make me very cross indeed. Happy days to you J
Seems like a waste of an awfully good coconut to this fan of coconuts!
Interesting photo of how they make the coconut oil.
Yay for ingenuity, Jules!
Biofuel has its pros and cons and - given another decade and building on the Brazilian model - might turn out to be a good thing one day.
But I love this post.
Plus, anything that pokes an oil company executive in the eye gets my vote.
What about the water engine (moteur à eau)..... It exists... It could be used in countries where it rains a lot.
Does coconut diesel pollute? That is the question :-)
A very very dangerous game to play with food to produce energy, no?
very interesting, excellent post.
Hi All - thanks for your comments.
marie - at the moment here it is very dry - we had rain last night but many people are carting water. We have quite a long dry season in the middle of the year.
dive - I agree!!!
I want a coconut radio.
I agree with David. We use corn here in the USA but I had never thought of using coconuts.
squirrel - coconut radios - you'll only hear a whole heap of sweet talk.....sorry!
Unfortunately, you are correct in that we need to find a vehicle that will run on air! A very timely problem that needs to be addressed.....
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