Saturday 30 June 2007

How green is green?


"Going Green"
is not always as strait forward as you might think!



One alternative to those nasty petroleum-based fuels are the emerging range of 'Biofuels'. Based on plant materials, these are said to be a greener option than fossil fuels.

But just how green are they?

In parts of the world natural rain forest is being cleared (slashed and burned) for the production of oil palms, a prime source of biofuel.

Unfortunately, not only does the clearance release massive amounts of carbon dioxide and destroy the habitat but the soil that has supported lush rain forest for so many years will become impoverished in (at the most) twenty years of this 'unnatural' use. When it is abandoned as useless for this crop it will no longer be able to support the natural vegetation.


.............Maybe the forest is greener than the fuel!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very true!

If you like to clean with vinegar - check out Vin-e-girl! Would love your thoughts.
-Stephanie

John Bolton MBICSc said...

Stephanie,

I like your site - just one comment on the use of dilute vinegar for mirror cleaning. Instead of using a cotton cloth, try polishing with screwed-up news paper. The carbon of the print puts a great shine on glass! (And does not require laundering afterwards - but can still be recycled - how green is that?)