Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
chemical fertilisers provide some of the important nutrients, Jatropha oil cake and
other organic fertilisers can be used to complement these and to provide other nutrients
(Asselbergs et al. 2006). There may also be a need for pesticides and insecticides as
the incidence of pests and diseases is widely reported under plantation monoculture
in spite of claims that pests and disease do not pose a significant threat to Jatropha
(Brittaine et al. 2010). Irrigation is a key input for profitable Jatropha cultivation,
which automatically excludes the poorest farmers and increases demand for water
(Ariza-Montobbio et al. 2010b).
Processing Jatropha involves pressing the seeds in order to expel their oil. This is
generally done bymeans of small manual ram-presses or power-operated screw-presses.
Hand presses are better suited for small quantities used in soap production and hence
are considered more 'pro poor' (Brittaine et al. 2010). Power-driven presses can handle
larger quantities of seeds (Van Eijck et al. 2008). However, they are not successful if
they are not affordable and capable of being easily repaired by local artisans (Brittaine
et al. 2010). While the technology involved is relatively simple, caution is required
on two fronts: first, more attention needs to be given to local production of such
equipment or training for modification of existing equipment (Asselbergs et al. 2006);
second, because Jatropha is poisonous, many processing firms are unwilling to use
the same equipment to press both edible and poisonous seeds, and it may therefore
be necessary to develop new oil-expelling facilities that are specifically dedicated to
pressing Jatropha seeds (Van Eijck et al. 2008).
Given that about 70% of the energy consumed in southern Africa is in the form
of fuelwood or charcoal (Syampungani et al. 2009), the role that a local and sustain-
able energy source, such as Jatropha, can play in improving livelihoods in Africa is
tremendous. “Energy pervades all aspects of development - it creates healthier cooking
environments, extends work and study hours through the provision of electric light …
provides power in remote regions to drive cellular communication equipment, and
increases labour productivity and agricultural output by making mechanisation possi-
ble'' (Brittaine et al. 2010: 10). Yet, there appears to be a wide gap in knowledge about
how effectively Jatropha can meet local energy needs given that the use of Jatropha oil
requires modified engines, stoves and lamps. A lister-type diesel engine is designed to
run on pure plant oil using simple technology that can be repaired by local engineers
with rudimentary facilities, while Jatropha-oil burning stoves and lamps need further
improvement before widespread acceptance can be expected (Brittaine et al. 2010).
While maximizing the rural development potential of Jatropha, the viability of domes-
tic energy solutions using Jatropha remains questionable as it may not be competitive
at household or community levels when economies of scale and transaction costs are
taken into account (Sulle et al. 2009).
Impacts of Jatropha on Water Resources Minimised
It is important to understand the implications of development and/or industrial projects
on natural resources as developmental processes and human health gains are dependent
on ecosystem services (Costanza et al. 1997; Daily 1997). There are growing health
implications of environmental degradation (Tabor 2002), and global environmental
changes pose various risks to the health of human populations (McMichael 2002).
However, the delineation of land for biofuel cultivation is a non-trivial task; all land
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