Cross-Continent Journeys
At the end of 2010, the Bio-Inspired Ice Vehicle (BIV) became the first vehicle to complete a trans-Antarctic expedition entirely on biofuels. Funded by Winston Wong, the E-85 powered BIV both showcased biofuel technology by proving it could survive in one of the harshest climates on earth while also serving a practical purpose by transporting scientists across the continent to areas where they needed to conduct research.

Land Speed Records
Unlike the BIV, John Petsche’s motorcycle is much more approachable. His idea was simple: Modify his Kawasaki so that it could burn an alternative fuel and get good gas mileage while keeping its construction simple enough that he could put it together in his garage. The result is a bike with a 350cc engine modified with off-the-shelf parts to run on straight vegetable oil, something that could easily be replicated by both home builders and manufacturers alike. The concept was proven when the bike set the land speed record for the 350cc alt-fuel motorcycle class at Maine’s Loring Timing Association.

Airborne Distance Records
Biofuel use extends well beyond land vehicles: Airlines are also looking toward this option to power their jets. Finnair recently set a record for the longest commercial airplane trip powered by biofuels. Covering a little over 900 miles, this trip used fuel formed from recycled biomass. Currently, Finnair is using the fuel in an experimental fashion: It isn’t financially practical to convert to biofuels yet, but with some work they believe they can get the price low enough to satisfy their fueling needs while reducing their impact on the environment.

When answering why the BIV would cross Antarctica, Winston Wong said that it was necessary to “do something that people can take notice [of] and say this is the future, the future of human endeavor” in an effort to reduce harm to the planet. Although these three projects were performed around the world in very different conditions, they all embodied that message and helped serve the same purpose: By pushing biofuel technology to the limits, they’re proving its viability. The creative solutions brought forth by these efforts will be the ones that will shift biofuels from niche products to a major part of our nation’s power.

Written by Alan Parker, an active blogger out of New York City whose writing covers green technology, the environment, and the great outdoors. You can follow him on Twitter @AGreenParker.

This is a microscopic plant and is grown in a highly controlled aquatic environment that is designed to replicate its natural habitat. In fact East Africa is considered to be the natural home of Spirulina since it exists naturally in many of the Rift Valley alkaline lakes, for example, Lake Nakuru, Elmentaita, Bogoria and Crater Lake. The appearance of the water in these lakes is a deep green, this is from the Spirulina in the water. It is one of two primary foods for the flamingos, so where there are flamingos you are very very likely to find Spirulina.

Spirulina was re-discovered in the early 60’s by some French scientists at Lake Chad. Since then it has become one of the most researched foods of modern time. There are over 400 studies highlighting the vast and varied benefits of this super-food.  In West Africa they have been growing Spirulina since the late ‘80s’ – due to it being a more francophone thing. In Burkina Faso the government has funded large Spirulina farms in order to offer high quality nutrition to those living with HIV in the country. In Chad there are several projects funded by the WFP which encourages the cultivation of Spirulina against malnutrition. The US is the largest consumer of Spirulina and over there exist the two of the largest Spirulina farms, one in California and the other in Hawaii.

For two years now Dunga Spirulina has developed the practical technology to grow Spirulina in the most environmentally friendly way. Indeed Spirulina cultivation is considered one of the most green forms of agriculture – requiring far less water and non fertile land to product high quality nutrition. Apart from offering this nutrition, Dunga Spirulina is training farmers on how to grow this food for their own nutrition and for income generation. As traditional forms of agriculture fail due to a warming planet, we see Spirulina as a food with great potential in the region.

What remains currently is awareness of this product. As awareness increases so will the interest in growing this food and in our opinion so will the nutritional status of people in the region. We see a great need to rethink traditional agriculture and develop technologies that can be used in the near future.

Guest posting by Jagpal Sandhu – Spirulina Producer and founder of  “Dunga Spirulina”, Kisumu – Kenya

• Healthy U Stores Countrywide (Kenya),
• Healthy U in Nairobi – Junction, Sarit Centre, Yaya Centre, T-Mall, Westgate, Village Market.
• Healthy U Express Stores inside Nakumatt: Junction, Karen, Ngong Road, Mega, Lifestyle, Village Market, Westgate, Embakasi.
• Healthy U in Kisumu – Nakumatt Nyanza and Mega City.
• Healthy U in Mombasa – Nyali and Likoni.
• Zucchini in Naiorbi – ABC Place, Junction and Village Market,
• Elixir Health in Village Market – on top of the food court.
• Patsons Chemist in Swan Centre, and Maruti Pharmacy in Kisumu

• And will soon be available in other East African countries.

Jagpal decided to start growing his own spirulina after having attended a basic course on spirulina growing and harvesting at IIMSAM Headquarters just outside Kisumu. IIMSAM gave Jagpal the basic knowledge on how to grow spirulina. He used that knowledge to establish his farm and produce spirulina in an open pond system. Dunga Spirulina is highly nutritious and provides you with all the protein, vitamins, minerals and micro nutrients needed by your body on a daily basis.  Dunga Spirulina is 100% Pure Spirulina Powder.

Various images taken on-site at Dunga Spirulina

Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist, Rome – Italy

The UK is using over 1.6 million hectares of land in Sub-Saharan Africa (Mali, Guinea, Senegal and Tanzania) to produce biofuel; that is the size of 3.2 million football fields or 16,000km² (the size of Swaziland). If we then consider how much African land is being used by the EU to produce biofuels from agricultural products in Africa the number doubles to 3.2 million acres, or over ¾ the size of The Netherlands. This is due to the fact that the EU has to adhere to a target to produce 10 percent of transport energy from biofuels by 2020.

All this land which could be used to grow agricultural products is being used to grow feedstock for biofuels in countries where the main concern is to bring food to the table of hungry children this does not seem sensible, and is contributing the rise of food prices.  Furthermore, the production process can emit from 3 to 6 times more greenhouse gases.

These enterprises are marginally helping development in these countries and are producing little employment for the local communities.  The feed stock is grown, harvested, fuel produced and shipped out.  It is not sustainable!

Recently Kenya changed its mind on the full implementation of a 50,000 hectare jathropha project near Malindi. The Kenyan franchise of the Italian company “Nuove Iniziative Industriali”  has had to turn its full scale jatropha project into a small scale pilot after the Kenyan government  considerably reduced the 50,000 hectare site as a consequence of protests by the Kenyan environmental groups.

Growing micro-algae for food does not interfere with land use or the production of food. Whether micro-algae is produced in photo bio-reactors, ponds or basins it will not decrease food production, It could in actual fact contribute to increasing food production if the left over biomass (after oil extraction) can be utilised as fertilizer or animal feed.

Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist,  Kisumu-Kenya

30.6 Gt of CO₂ were emitted into the atmosphere last year,  a rise of 1.6 Gt from 2009 data, and an increase of over 5% in two years. This was mainly from fossil fuels and if we continue emitting at this rate by 2020 we will be emitting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than initially predicted.

Of the new power plants being built about 80% of them will be running on fossil fuels by 2020, increasing the amount of emission to even higher than predicted levels.

The main concern is the increase in the mean surface temperature which was predicted to increase by 2 degrees if CO₂ emissions did not fall. ‘It is becoming extremely challenging to remain below 2 degrees. The prospect is getting bleaker….” says Fatih Birol, chief economist of the IEA.

A small increase of 2 degrees on the world’s mean surface temperature will amongst other things; disturb agriculture, melt icecaps, rise sea level and cause displacement of people which will lead to wars. The Earth will suffocate

I will not stop saying this – let’s do something about it! The technologies are there to invest in Renewable Energy – wind, solar, biomass, wave power, tidal power etc.

I coin this term now – LET’S MITIGATE OR SUFFOCATE pass it on

Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist,  Kisumu-Kenya

An article on the Daily Nation on Thursday 12 May, 2011 claims that there will be delays on the completion of the highway which had an expected completion date of February 2012. It is the increase in fuel prices that is being blamed for the delays in completing the highway which is expected to ease traffic in the congested city.

The KSh27 Billion Highway will cost the government even more claims the Roads Permanent Secretary Mr. Michael Kamau due to structural delays, and due to the increase in fuel prices. “If this project is delayed and the fuel prices continue behaving the way they are doing, then we have serious challenges on the amount of money we are going to pay on the variation on price,”

Surely in a country with over 160,000km of roads (paved and unpaved) and so highly dependent on oil imports (over 80,000 bbl/day – 2007 est)[1] this should’ve been foreseen and budgeted,  before construction of the highway even began.

So why suddenly is the increase in fuel prices being blamed for the delays and for the increase in cost? Is this simply and excuse for the delay?

Perhaps its time Kenya looks at fuel alternatives. It has an enormous potential to produce its own fuel through the growth and production of algae oil by using photo bio-reactors. Not only will the algae absorb and store CO₂ (carbon dioxide) in its cell as it grows[2] which will contribute to mitigating climate change, but it will also make Kenya free of oil imports.  Micro-algae require sunshine, CO₂ , and waste water to grow and thrive, Kenya has an abundance of all these ingredients.

Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist,  Kisumu-Kenya

Most Kenyans don’t have much of a choice as to what to eat during the day or in their evening meals, that is, if they are fortunate to have a second meal during the day. Fuel prices go side by side with prices of other commodities so it is inevitable that if fuel prices increase so too does the price of food. The slightest increase in fuel prices will have severe consequences on their daily lives.

According to an opinion poll published on the African paper “Saturday Nation” Kenya is to face a significant increase in food and fuel prices.  The poll conducted by Synovate Research, claims that the key issues that the public would like the government to deal with are the rising cost of food (mainly staples like, maize, rice, bread, beans and cooking oil) and the increasing cost of fuel. 33 percent of the 2000 people interviewed in fact, are particularly concerned with high food and fuel prices and increased cost of living and poverty.

The recent increase of Sh9 (0.07 euro cents) on fuel set by the Energy Regulatory Commission, consequently sparked off an increase in food and cost of living, this will push the country to an even higher inflation rate, causing protests not only in Kenya but in neighboring countries like Uganda where Kizza Besigye (Opposition Leader) was shot and injured while leading a “walk to work” demonstration last Thursday.

Kenya needs to consider looking at alternative energy, not only to save their environment, but to provide clean energy at local level.  The abundant sun in Kenya could provide sufficient energy to produce electricity and Photo Bio-Reactors could grow and harvest micro-algae to generate crude oil for transport fuels along with food supplements. The technology is in place it’s simply a matter of implementing it.

The video below has been produced by KKEO – Kisumu Kids Empowerment Organization – An NGO based in Kisumu, Kenya.