Biofuels Rockstar
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Steve Engler is blogging about the trials and tribulations of Costa Rica's biofuels world while he's down there for a year.
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August 2008
3 August 2008
Editorial about 2nd Generation Biofuels in La Nacion
A translated version of the editorial below was published in Costa Rica's major national newspaper, La Nacion, on June 29. Didn't find out about this until a few days ago, but it's still sweet. I had submitted it a month before and then hadn't heard a thing since. It is co-signed with a member of the cooperative in Talamanca who is also a former senator-type figure, and therefore lent some authority to the piece. Here is a link to the article.
In other news, CoopeTalamancaSos's project to produce a clean biofuel, KAF, was selected by Fundecooperacion as one of 37 potential groups out of a pool of some 200. My return trip to Costa Rica from Peru happened to coincide with the interview, so I was able to help out by polishing up the power point presentation and then translating during the meeting for our group's president, who only speaks Spanish, during the English part of the presentation. Although the project would be in Costa Rica, the organization requires you to show proficiency in English. Between me and the gringa secretary, the fantastic Emily Yozell, we got that covered. The meeting went pretty well, and I will write in if any good news occurs. As to whether or not they fund the project, it depends on how risky Fundecooperacion is willing to be. By definition ours is an experimental one, but it also tackles a topic that could not be more pressing. Not that I'm biased or anything, but I think Fundecooperacion should totally go for it.
May 2008
26 May 2008
Editorial about 2nd Generation Biofuels in the Tico Times
On Friday, an editorial I wrote about the advantages of 2nd generation, as opposed to 1st generation, biofuels appeared in the English language newspaper here. In the article, I argue that it would be in line with Costa Rica's sustainability approach to embrace 2nd generation technologies rather than continuing down the path towards 1st generation production. Below is the text:
Beware the Biofuels Generation Gap
By Steven Engler
With oil prices reaching historic trading levels this week, the need for alternative liquid fuels is becoming all the more imperative. Countries worldwide are racing to incorporate biofuels in their national energy policies. Costa Rica is one such country. Last June, President Oscar Arias Sánchez announced the goal of carbon neutrality by 2021, with biofuels to play a part. Specifically, the government announced that Costa Rica's oil supply would reach a goal of 10% ethanol and 20% biodiesel by 2010, with blending to start at the end of this year.
But not all biofuels are created equal. Some, called 1st generation biofuels, are made from crops like sugarcane, palm oil, and corn. Others, called 2nd generation biofuels, are made from organic material like weeds and grasses. The difference between these fuels lies not just in their source, but also in their impact on the environment. First generation biofuels, as the scientific community has recently cautioned, can do more harm than good in terms of greenhouse gas emissions when factoring in the forest clearing and agrochemical use that accompany crop production. Tellingly, the European Union is considering backing away from its previous goal of 10% biofuels by 2020 and banning biodiesel from palm oil plantations in Southeast Asia, where huge swaths of biologically-rich rainforests that sequester carbon have been cleared for monoculture biofuel crops.
In addition, with wheat, soy, and corn prices skyrocketing worldwide, it is no surprise that many are blaming biofuels. Droughts in Australia, political unrest in Kenya, and growing demand in Asia have no doubt contributed to elevated food prices, but it seems difficult to imagine that the increased demand for these crops to produce biofuels did not at least exacerbate the situation. Corn prices are up 30 percent this year to over $6 per bushel, more than three times 2005 levels. The US Congress, which just disappointingly passed a $290 billion farm bill, only added fuel to the fire over corn prices in the Americas, which erupted in last year's tortilla riots in Mexico. The result in developed nations is that people complain about high costs but go on living; among the world's poor, these soaring prices are devastating.
Costa Rica is headed down a path of 1st generation biofuels production. According to the National Biofuels Commission's report in January, ethanol and biodiesel will primarily be derived from sugarcane and palm oil, respectively. The document made only a passing reference to the role 2nd generation biofuels could play in Costa Rica's energy future. Yet if Costa Rica truly hopes to promote international cooperation on climate change, it should take the lead in developing 2nd generation biofuels technology. The large scale development of biofuels monocultures seems antithetical to preserving Costa Rica's biodiversity gems. On the other hand, proving to the world that truly clean 2nd generation biofuels can be accomplished resonates as exactly the kind of opportunity Costa Rica would embrace. With 80 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions coming from the transportation sector and 70 percent of energy use fossil fuels-based, there could be no greater investment towards achieving "Peace with Nature."
With so many potential downfalls, why, then, do we only hear about 1st generation biofuels? The answer is that these technologies are mainstream; the fuel-grade ethanol distillation process, for example, has been known for decades. Second generation fuels, on the other hand, still require heavy investment in research and development. As biofuels occupy decidedly unfamiliar turf, governments want to go with the surer thing, and thus 1st generation fuels win out.
In the meantime, however, community action groups are picking up where governments leave off. For the past two months, I have been working with the Cooperative for a Sustainable Talamanca (CoopeTalamancaSos) to develop a clean, locally produced 2nd generation biofuel in Talamanca. CoopeTalamancaSos, whose umbrella organization ADELA (www.grupoadela.org) has successfully opposed oil drilling on the Caribbean coast for the past 10 years, seeks practical alternatives to petroleum. It has teamed up with a Costa Rican engineer, Mario Araya of Proambiente, S.A., to market KleanAirFuel (KAF) (www.kleanairfuel.com), a biofuel tested by RECOPE that can be made from plantain waste, wild cane, and even micro-algae. The organization is currently seeking funds to establish the first KAF plant in Talamanca, serving as a model for the country and the rest of the world in the sustainable development of biofuels. In the process, the creation of truly clean biofuels in Limón province would provide new jobs and training for one of the most economically depressed regions of the country.
Costa Rica has a proud legacy of sustainable and equitable development across the board. Instead of pursuing 1st generation biofuels that have raised environmental doubts and would only centralize wealth due to the large-scale plants that would accompany their production, Costa Rica could turn heads by promoting small-scale, decentralized 2nd generation biofuels projects that would combat global warming, reduce the country's dependence on petroleum, and foster economic development in the country's most impoverished regions.
April 2008
21 April 2008
Biofuels on the Beach, Part II
I’ve been living in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca for the past 3 weeks working on CoopeTalamancaSos’s biofuels project down here. It’s been great interacting with the cooperative’s diverse board members and observing how this small group of volunteers negotiates Costa Rican bureaucracy to get the plan moving forward.
The biggest concern now is raising funds to implement the project. I’ve been spending most of my time working on an exhaustive application for a grant from an entity called Fundecooperacion that requires a detailed feasibility study and work plan, estimating costs, materials, and market entry among other factors. Although a little mundane trying to figure out key words and grant-type language, it’s been a useful exercise in organization and systematic thinking since the application essentially consists of defining and designing the project details on paper.
Additionally, the grant peculiarly funds only projects in three countries—Costa Rica, Benin (in western Africa), and Bhutan (in central Asia)—and requires the applicant to team with a project in one of the other countries. So we’ve been busy Skyping Benin and deciphering French to determine how a women’s organization we found that’s trying to end the inefficient burning of palm oil residue for energy purposes could mesh with our project. The idea is that the grant promotes “South-South Cooperation,” that is, developing countries helping each other through common experiences, as opposed to “North-South Cooperation,” in which traditionally developed northern countries give aid to developing ones in the south. A nice concept in theory, but in reality it’s been like forcing a square peg into a round hole trying to present two very different projects as being similar.
Puerto Viejo itself is a laid back Caribbean town and everything, including getting around, takes longer than you would think. Potholes abound on the streets, as do potheads for the matter, and you have to weave your bike to avoid both, never taking a direct route. Doing something today often means in fact doing it tomorrow, especially when it relies on other people, but this also has its advantages, as you yourself can afford to be less reliable without offending anyone! I’m currently living in Punta Uva in a rustic cabina – cold water showers are an exercise in determination; a mosquito net is not just a suggestion – about 3 miles from the town center, but the beach here is the nicest in Talamanca.
I’m currently in San Jose for the week working on the feasibility study with the KAF engineer. I’ll be getting data on the technical aspects of the process to figure out what the budget will be, what materials are needed, how big the plant will have to be to break even, etc. and will also be estimating the environmental impact of the project. One thing I’ve discovered down here is that people have a habit of answering your questions when you’re right in front of them as opposed to on the other end of a phone line or email exchange! Hope we get some answers in time to apply for the above grant by the April 30 deadline.
March 2008
27 March 2008
The 400
It was at times exhausting and repetitive, but in the end rewarding. Undoubtedly Al Gore gets bored of giving the same stump speech, but his interest in global warming must keep him going. The program was incredibly easy to throw together, cost nothing, and could easily be replicated in other parts of the country in high schools.
I'm off to Puerto Viejo on Monday to begin my new project with CoopeTalamancaSos (see February 14 entry), the community group on the South Caribbean coast that wants to locally produce and use a biofuel made from banana waste, fast growing weeds, and even micro algae. I'll be helping them conduct a feasibility and market study, build community alliances, and edit their publications and website. It will be a different kind of project than my work at CATIE, more on the ground and will involve greater interaction with community groups and leaders. I'm also excited to get to know a different part of the country, both culturally (prevalent African/Caribbean influence) and geographically (seaside community versus Central Valley coffee/sugarcane town). Economically, the Limon province is considered the poorest region of the country yet has the greatest amount of organic material, creating an enormous opportunity to harness its resources and turn it into the first province that uses biofuels. I'm eager to be a part of this innovative project and plan to be based in Puerto Viejo for the next two to three months.
11 March 2008
Talking in schools about biofuels, part II
Since my last entry in February about my educational outreach project in Turrialba's high schools, I have spoken in five schools to over 250 students. This week, I will speak to two more and over a 100 students, including an agricultural high school in neighboring La Suiza. The talks have taught me a lot about public speaking and the community I've been interacting with in the process. After doing this, I really believe people who have a fear of public speaking could combat it by speaking in a different language before 40 punky high school students; speaking in English afterwards will be no sweat. The students seem interested and engaged, at least as much as any high school student can be when a (foreign) guest speaker comes. Some have even asked me at the end what they can do to get involved in renewable energy, which is really satisfying to hear. I tell them to stay informed and to look out for opportunities -- such as random fellowships to Costa Rica... -- to enter the renewable energy debate.
Finally, I pass around vegetable oil samples from the biodiesel factory above for the kids to inevitably open and smell, normally an unpleasant experience considering one of the vials contains used vegetable oil from restaurants. After taking questions, I urge the students to stay informed about renewable energy news and biofuels -- as I've found, talking about something teaches you a lot about it, too -- and encourage them to write letters in newspapers and to politicians indicating their support for renewable energy.
I usually do 3-4 45-minute presentations each visit, and will hopefully have gone to all 8 high schools in Turrialba and La Suiza by the time I'm finished here. As a sign of how frustrating it can be to arrange these talks in a developing country, there's one holdout school I've been trying to get in touch with that just had a teacher strike, whose main office resembles a bus terminal, and whose phones simply don't work in the morning!
Note: These are the newest postings in the "Biofuels Rockstar" blog. For previous entries, click here.
