Sri Lankan students launch initiative to promote biofuels

In an interesting development, students from the Master in Business Administration class at the University of Colombo have formed a society to promote biofuels across the island state. The move is a bottom-up initiative, from socially and environmentally conscious youth, who look into their nation's long-term future.

They describe their motivation in Sri Lanka's Daily News. The students are very optimistic about the advantages of ethanol and biodiesel, but perhaps a bit naive when it comes to the potential environmental costs of biofuels and the complex economic and social drivers that dictate their feasibility. Still, let's listen to their youthly enthusiasm and to the reasons as to why they launched their biofuel society:

The recent surge in [interest] in environmental issues affecting our planet coupled with the increasing costs of fossil fuels such as oil and gas have led to an increase in interest in biofuels. [...] Sri Lankan expenditure on imported fossil fuel is totaling to US Dollars 1,029 Millions in the year 2006 (according to Central Bank Report) and day by day cost of living is going up. We use fossil fuel for power generation to lighting lamps and if an alternative energy source such as renewable energy can be used to save Billions of Dollars we spent on importation of fossil fuel.

The arguments dealing with energy security and import costs are certainly strong ones. High fossil fuel prices are truly disastrous for developing countries and especially hurt the poor. Some of the least developed countries are already spending twice as much on importing oil than on such basic social services as health care (earlier post).

Biofuels can also provide us with a sustainable form of energy. This is great news for future generations but also effects us today as dwindling supplies of oil and gas force prices upwards meaning that we pay more for our gas and petroleum as well as fossil fuel generated electricity.

'Peak Oil and Gas' remains the dark shadow that looms over all nations that want to achieve a certain degree of modernity. Abundant and low-cost energy is absolutely key to the development of economies and societies, especially when they are making the transition from low to higher development. This entails a phase of high energy intensity, requiring abundant and secure supplies of energy. Currently biofuels offer the only feasible alternative to petroleum.

Obviously, 'Peak Oil' is only a problem for those who believe in the ideologies of 'progress' and 'modernity'. But then, these discourses have found their strongest adherents in developing countries. Only in 'post-modern' societies, and amongst their middle classes that have gained all the wealth of the world, can one find the questionable idea that humanity should somehow revert back to pre-modern times. Luckily, this is remains a marginal discourse.

The Sri Lankan students continue by highlighting the fact that biofuels can be produced locally. In the words of FAO chief Jacques Diouf, they also promise to bring a 'rural renaissance'. About 80 per cent of the country's 20 million inhabitants is made up of a rural population and farmers:

There are 3.5 million households in Sri Lanka with a high potential of promoting ethanol production at domestic level. [...] Biofuels can easily be made at home and by local communities and farming groups. This can again make biofuels a cheap alternative to fossil fuels and can help to strengthen local communities both socially and economically.

There are many environmental and economic benefits of using ethanol, they students think, and they list them as follows:
energy :: sustainability :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: rural development :: energy security :: Sri Lanka ::

• Reduced harmful exhaust emissions
• Sustainable energy source
• Reduced dependence on foreign sources of oil and gas
• Biodegradable with no toxic effect on environment
• Does not contribute to greenhouse effect due to growth / burning cycle
• Cheap method of achieving high octane fuel
• Many cars are already capable of running on ethanol with no modifications
• Can reduce levels of disease causing emissions from petrol blends.
• Can be made at home - reducing energy costs associated with transportation

The biofuels that will be made in Sri Lanka would be first generation fuels obtained from tropical crops such as sugar cane, jatropha, coconut, cassava and tropical tree and grass species, as well as from the island's abundant agriculture and forestry residues. For these crops and fuels - contrary to biofuels made from crops such as canola or maize - the science is clear: they substantially reduce carbon emissions and can be grown in a sustainable manner.

Biofuels have an enormous environmental benefit; they can help reduce the levels of toxins in our air and water. They can reduce the advance of global warming and can help reduce fuel needs by providing more efficient models of energy creation. When a biofuel is burnt to release the energy contained within the biomass, the carbon that is released has recently been taken from the atmosphere by the plants that the biofuel derived from.

Sri Lanka needs a positive change, the students conclude:

We, a team of motivated students reading for a Master in Business Administration at The University of Colombo are aligned to create the positive change to Sri Lanka with bio fuel. We have formed a society called REBIL to further experiment on the possibilities of producing Ethanol out of illicit liquor.

REBIL stands for Renewable Energy through Illicit Local Liquor and promotes bio fuel to reduce the nations' dependency on imported crude oil, helping to reduce environmental effects of daily life and to create job opportunities to 3.5 million rural families.

We invite you, the responsible citizens of Sri Lanka to join hands with us to make this dream a reality.

Photo: Sri Lanka's mainly rural population takes advantage of the country's wet tropical climate to produce tea, rubber, coconuts and spices. The agro-ecological conditions on the island are highly suitable for a range of high-yielding biofuel crops.

References:
Daily News (Sri Lanka): Biofuel: cheaper, more environmentally friendly - September 18, 2007.

Rural Poverty Portal: Geography, agriculture and economy of Sri Lanka.

Biopact: High oil prices disastrous for developing countries - September 12, 2007

Biopact: FAO chief calls for a 'Biopact' between the North and the South - August 15, 2007