The Washington Times

Lowly shrub grows in stature as biofuel

Jatropha seed oil touted for jets

Government officials in the southern African nation of Namibia late last month put the brakes on plans for large-scale Jatropha plantations in the country’s northeast, citing the need for more study on the potential disruptive impact on food cultivation, landownership patterns and a loss of access to communal property.

Patrick M. O’Brien, a retired executive of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service who is now consulting for Mission NewEnergy, said Jatropha could find a domestic production base in an area extending “from Texas around the Gulf Coast up to South Carolina,” although not too far north because of frost concerns. The areas where Jatropha could be grown domestically include some where farmers might reap profits.

© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus

      Independent voices from the TWT Communities

      Political Potpourri

      A collection of reader guest articles, thoughts and opinions by Communities writers and breaking news and information.

      Wells On Baseball

      This column will cover anything that has anything remotely to do with the game of baseball, from the game itself to mid-summer trades to offseason moves.