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Just Say No To Biofuels
The Kenyan courts are considering doing just that. A judicial review is weighing whether or not to halt the first stage of a US$370 million biofuel project that aims to replace up to 50,000 acres of coastal grassland with irrigated fields of sugarcane.
The project is based at the Tana River Delta on the northern Kenyan coast. It’s opposed by environmental groups Nature Kenya, the East Africa Wildlife Society, and nomadic pastoralists, reports ENN.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai doesn't like it either. "We cannot just start messing around with the wetland because we need biofuel and sugar."
Could this be the beginning of a new movement?
The Kenyan biofuels project promises to generate up to 34 megawatts of electricity a day from sugar refining. Plus up to 5 million gallons of ethanol a year from molasses.
But a report commissioned by Nature Kenya in May found that the developers' plans overestimated profits, ignored fees for water use, ignored pollution from the sugarcane plant, and ignored the loss of income from wildlife tourism.
Beware slippery economics. They impoverish us all.
Julia Whitty is Mother Jones' environmental correspondent, lecturer, and 2008 winner of the Kiriyama Prize and the John Burroughs Medal Award.
Comments
It is this kind of paternalistic
clap trap that needs to called up for what it is. Kenya imports all its fuel. This is an incredible burden on the economy. This project will go a long way towards reducing that fuel bill via Ethanol substitution. It will create jobs and opportunity. The fundamental human right is to earn a decent living. A lot of folk can admire someone navel gazing all day at a nice environment but come on.
Aly-Khan Satchu
www.rich.co.ke
Aly-Khan Satchu
Do you honestly think any more than the richest 1% of Kenyan society will derive any benefit from biofuel production?
None of the money will ease the burden on Kenya's economy.
'50,000 acres of coastal grassland' - once you've covered that 50,000 acres with fertilizers and pesticides the sea is going to die as a result of the run-off.
Kenya is right to say no to short term profit for the few in order to derive long term benefit for the many.
Posted by: Fair Trade on 08/08/08 at 1:54 AM Respond
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Posted by: Aly-Khan Satchu on 08/07/08 at 11:27 PM Respond