Senior Seminar Project on 'Plant-based biofuel for rural community development'

1. Plant-based biofuels for rural community development PalizaShrestha, Mount Holyoke College ES-390

3. Demand for renewable energy sources is expected to rise in future

4. Biofuel gaining worldwide popularity since first manufactured in Europe

5. U.S. promoting industrial biofuel to solve climate crisis

7. Category: Biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, pure vegetable oil

8. An alternative to petroleum based fuel

9. Biodiesel feed stocks:

10. Palm

11. Coconut

12. Jatrophacurcas

13. Rapeseed/ Mustard seed

14. Sunflower

15. Corn

16. Soybean

17. Peanuts

18. Algae

19. Used restaurant oil

20. Animal fatsCoconut seeds Pond Algae Palm seeds Jatropha seeds Rapeseeds Sunflower seeds Soybean seeds Corn

21. How is biodiesel made? Alcohol (Ethanol, Methanol) Catalyst (NaOH/KOH) & HEAT! Biodiesel Esters of 3 fatty acid chains Glycerine molecule which is separated out Vegetable Oil Molecule

22. Industrial biofuel and environmental degradation Massive deforestation in tropical rainforest in Indonesia to convert to oil palm plantations 8% of global CO2 emissions 21% of Brazil’s agricultural land converted to soy bean plantation Displaced over 300,000 people Since Jan 2003, 70,000 km2 of Amazon rainforest cleared for biofuel production Forests and soil store 3x the amount of CO2 than does the atmosphere More…. High production costs (energy) Competition between food crop and fuel crop Price increases in world grains, cereals and vegetable oils

24. effective government policies to protect farmers from competition

25. decentralized

26. Small scale biodiesel plants in developing countries had led to

27. rural electrification

28. improving irrigation & agriculture

29. job creation

30. women empowerment

31. power to local community

33. Steps to initiating pilot projects in rural communities Mobilize community groups , e.g. 10 to 15 households Awareness workshops including gender sensitivity Engage local men and women in interactive dialogue and discussions Install irrigation pump and oil expeller for each community group Provide skill training and instruction manuals Form Village energy committee Encourage household to plant jatropha plants in their private wastelands or in poorer sections of their field, e.g. on the borders of the fields Conduct technical and business skill training to women from preparing organic fertilizer from oil cake to producing vegetable cash crops to sell in the market Establish a small micro-finance bank so villagers can take loans

34. Biodiesel processor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_U7Lk89dXw Ethanol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59R-NqykoXs&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqfW0VmONXc&feature=related Algae http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dBLVtAMn5A&NR=1&feature=fvwp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9_-ZguuhBw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRYcEPVsKhg&feature=related

35. Bibliography Greg Pahl. Biodiesel: Growing a new energy economy. 2007. Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White Rive Junction, VT. Biofuels for transport: Global potential and implications for sustainable energy and agriculture. Worldwatch Institute. 2007. Camden High Street, London, UK. Biofuels for sustainable rural development and empowerment of women. 2009. ENERGIA. The Netherlands. Vandana Shiva. Soil Not Oil. 2008. South End Press, Cambridge, MA.