Biofuels Use too Much Water

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Rashid Faridi

Crops grown for biofuel would use up more water than problematic sources of petroleum, such as tar sands and oil shale.

The great advantage of biofuel over petroleum is that the sources of biofuel are so widely available. The geologic fates may not have endowed your corner of the world with oil or gas deposits, but just about everyone can grow plants to make fuel. Unfortunately, some of the places these crops are grown require irrigation, and when water enters the equation, biofuels are a lot less attractive than the stuff they’re replacing.

Perhaps, a better idea is to use crops that don’t require any more water than what local rains provide. Oil palms in Indonesia and sugarcane in Brazil are already being used to produce biofuels in large quantities without irrigation. It’s not that these plants don’t need lots of water; it’s just that the tropical lands they are grown on receive abundant rains. Indeed, it might make more sense to import biofuels from such water-rich regions of the globe than to try to grow them where there’s not enough water. One thing’s for sure: The future of any crop now being touted as a good source of biofuel will hinge on how it slakes its thirst.

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UNESCO Approves 13 New Biosphere Reserves

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Rashid Faridi

Ethiopia and Zimbabwe have added their first biosphere reserves to the network of reserves created by the United Nations to halt the loss of biodiversity and promote sustainable development. One of the two new Ethiopian reserves protects the place of origin of the plant Caffea Arabica, believed to be the first species of coffee ever cultivated.

The decision to include the reserves in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe was taken by the International Coordination Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, which concluded its annual session Friday at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

The Council also added 10 biosphere reserve sites in Iran, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Slovenia, South Korea, and Sweden, while five sites were extended in Chile, Costa Rica, Finland, Germany and Switzerland.

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves now numbers 564 sites in 109 countries.

Biosphere Reserves are areas designated under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme to serve as places to test different approaches to integrated management of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine resources and biodiversity. They are protected areas that are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and nature.

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Posted in BIODIVERSITY | 1 Comment

NASA Rover Finds Clue of Mars’ Environment for Life

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Rashid Faridi

Rocks examined by NASA’s Spirit Mars Rover hold evidence of a wet, non-acidic ancient environment that may have been favorable for life. Confirming this mineral clue took four years of analysis by several scientists.

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Posted in BIODIVERSITY, Space | 1 Comment

Titan: Oasis For Life

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Rashid Faridi

Two teams of scientists reported last week that data from NASA’s Cassini orbiter reveal unusual chemical activity on Saturn’s giant moon Titan.

It’s plausible, but far from definitive, that a primitive exotic form of life on Titan’s frigid surface could be causing the strange results.

Earth organisms would barely last a few seconds before freezing solid on Titan’s -300 degree Fahrenheit surface. But this could be tantalizing evidence for “cryo-life.” It would be an utterly alien biology existing at very low temperatures where liquid methane and ethane are used in place of water as a solvent.

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Posted in BIODIVERSITY, Space, Uncategorized | 1 Comment