Project Jatropha

Slashing California Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2011-12-22T10:35:00.001-08:00

When talks of combating or mitigating anthropogenic climate change come up, the inevitable “well,even if it exists, how can we act without crippling our industries” question or statement comes up. It may sound pessimistic, but it’s a vital question that must be answered. Humanity has been pumping out massive amounts of greenhouse gases for the past 150 years, and we need to lower our output significantly by 2050 or so in order to make the impacts of climate change less severe. But given how inefficient and dirty the current global energy infrastructure is, people often ask, rightfully so, whether or not it’s unreasonable to expect massive carbon emissions cuts within the next 40 to 50 years.

Even thinking on the small scale, such as reducing emissions in California-a giant state in and of itself-may seem impossible at first. But, according to a team of researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the San Francisco-based energy consulting firm Energy and Environmental Economics, it is.

Distilling the article, the three main ways that California can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 are as follows: the primary method will be energy efficiency (“The scientists found that the largest share of greenhouse gas reductions from energy efficiency comes from the building sector via improvements in building shell, HVAC systems, lighting, and appliances.”), the next two methods will be cleaner power generation (“Another 27 percent reduction in emissions comes from switching to electricity generation technologies that don't pour carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Renewable energy, nuclear power, and fossil fuel-powered generation coupled with carbon capture and storage technology each has the potential to be the chief electricity resource in California. “) and going from gas to electric for many items (“So they turned to cars, space and water heaters, and industrial processes that consume fuel and natural gas. They determined that most of these technologies had to be electrified, with electricity constituting 55 percent of end-use energy in 2050, compared to 15 percent today. Overall, this nets a 16-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the final push needed to achieve an 80-percent reduction below 1990 levels.”).

The article is linked in full here: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-11-how-to-slashing-california-greenhouse-gas.html

Pictures from India (Pondicherry)

2011-09-03T18:19:00.001-07:00

Purchasing the plants at the Pondicherry nursery

Bala introducing Adarsha and Apoorva to the international volunteers

Planting with the volunteers

More planting with the volunteers

More planting with the volunteers and school children

Bala, his wife, and child standing in front of the school

Adarsha and some of the international volunteers distributing apples to the children

Apoorva helping distribute sweets to the children

Bala and the schoolteachers, along with some of the students

Our return to India (Part 1)

2011-09-01T12:24:00.001-07:00

Dear followers,

We’ve returned from India (actually, we returned on August 21st, but we’re still recovering from jetlag), and with us, we bring more (mostly good) news about Project Jatropha.

There were two major Project Jatropha-related...events that happened during this year’s India visit. One was the visiting of the farmers who have been taking part in Phase II of Project Jatropha, and the other was the expansion of the project to Pondicherry.

For those of you who don’t know (ie, most everyone who hasn’t lived in India), Pondicherry is in the state of Tamil Nadu. Up to this point, all of Project Jatropha’s work in India has been centered in the Mysore-Hunsur area, which is in the state of Karnataka. Tamil Nadu is also in south India, and is actually right next to Karnataka. However, the primary language spoken in Tamil Nadu is, unsurprisingly, Tamil, whereas Kannada is the main language spoken in Karnataka. The languages are not similar at all, and travel would become an issue since directions were always in Tamil (whether verbal or written). But eventually, we got to Pondicherry.

There, we met with Bala, a man who works with an NPO (non profit organization) called VET (Vallalar Educational Trust) there. Taken from their website, their goal is as follows: VET aims at Rural Welfare Reforms for the Indian Woman and Girl Child, Social welfare and Health Welfare. We assist women by forming self-help groups, leadership training, income generation programme, immunisation and family planning advice, and mother and child nutrition programmes.

Bala was an engineer who decided to come back to his home town in order to better it-he saw the state that the area was in, and realized that his talents, energy, and enthusiasm could better serve the people in his community. Bala was also quick to realize that one of the main areas to focus on was the children-because with them lay the hope of changing the future. Cliche? Arguably. True? Very much so. Many of these children are among the first in their families to receive a formal education of any sort-most of their parents are illiterate and only know how to sign their names. By helping give them an education, Bala was enabling them to have a future beyond being stuck in their current socioeconomic position.

First, we went to a local nursery, which had been established a few decades ago, to purchase plants. Bala, who had already bought plants there before, was able to obtain a discount, as we were helping the school rather than making a purchase directly for ourselves. All in all, the amount of money spent totaled less than 2000 rupees (which is around $50 US), and with it we bought around 20 plants of varying types (details will be uploaded onto our official website shortly). Then, we hired an autorickshaw to transport the plants to the school, which cost a few hundred rupees.

Once in the school site, we met up with the international volunteers. Upon seeing them, we exchanged names and our places of origin. Many of them were from Europe, with one person from China. The majority of people were from Holland or Spain, but there were people from France and Belgium as well. Turns out they were all part of an exchange program of sorts, whereby volunteers like them would come to India, spend time among the locals, and  participate in various projects dedicated towards helping the impoverished.

Around 100 kids were in the school, which was a small institution. There was very little lighting, and it was really the perfect picture of an impoverished school that you might see in an ad asking for donations. The entire school consisted of three buildings. Books were there, but clearly more were needed; there were few (if any) blackboards and there were no desks or chairs for the students, who had to sit on the floor. Despite the hard work of the teachers, it was still a challenge to educate the children with what little resources that were available. Yet, we found out that despite the dire need of resources for schools such as this one, politicians have instead been giving out free televisions to households in order to buy their votes (and the recipients would be reminded to vote for the candidate with the numerous ads that would be shown, ironically enough). This frankly shameful lack of priorities among the local politicians was a perfect example of the lack of care for the rural folk that Bala has been addressing.

After introductions, the actual planting began. Bala handed out the plants to us (Apoorva, me, and the international volunteers), along with some of the students. We were instructed to take off our socks before entering the field as it had rained the day before, and it soon became apparent why-although the ground looked fine, I quickly sank a good 6 inches into it when I stepped anywhere. Fortunately, Bala had already had the holes dug prior to yesterday’s rainfall, so our lives were that much easier. Once we all were in position, the plants were gently placed into the holes, which were filled in with a combination of manure and soil. Done with planting, we all washed our hands and sat down to eat.

We ended the successful planting with lunch, which was a vegetable biriyani cooked in a giant pot. After eating, we found out that Bala had hired a cook who usually does the kind of cooking in weddings just to cater for us-we were flattered at this display, because doing so certainly would have cost a large sum of money (especially considering that Bala certainly needed the money far more than we did). Regardless, we thanked Bala for his generosity and ate heartily.

Afterward lunch, we decided upon distributing the fruits to the school, which we did with help from the international volunteers. We learned from the international volunteers that the favorite fruit of many schoolchildren was apples. And lucky for us, we had brought apples-enough for the whole school, students and teachers alike. The entire school was incredibly grateful for the plants and the fruit. Bala thanked us (even though he had done much of the work by choosing and readying the school, as well as making sure the pits were dug out beforehand), and we intend to continue our work in Pondicherry. In the future, we hope to introduce small amounts of Jatropha to the schools (perhaps as fences) as well as assorted fruit and ornamental plants.

The next blog post will talk about the revisiting of the Phase I and II sites of Project Jatropha, and what decisions transpired as a result.

 ~Adarsha

Land for Biofuels or Crops? The Debate Rumbles on

2011-06-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

June 22, 2011, 12:51 PM GMT

: AFP/Getty Images; Palm oil fruit – often seen as a biofuel.

Agriculture ministers for the world’s richest nations are meeting in Paris this week to debate the best ways to tackle unprecedented volatility in food prices.

But while farming officials for the Group of 20 nations may agree that markets need more transparency and predictability, opinion is still split over more controversial topics, including governments’ policies on diverting food crops to create biofuels.

A report commissioned by international agencies including the World Bank and the United Nations’ food body and the International Monetary Fund urged the G20 to “remove . . . policies that subsidize or mandate biofuels production or consumption”.

But opposition from countries such as the U.S. and Brazil, two of the world’s biggest users of first-generation ethanol created from corn and sugar for transport fuel, means such recommendations are not expected to be adopted by European governments.

“I suspect that there will continue to be differences among the G20 agricultural producers about how much they’re willing to commit to on biofuels,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick.

Agriculture ministers are expected to announce plans to launch a global database of production and stocks of staple foodstuffs such as wheat, corn, rice and soya beans, similar to a system which already exists in oil markets. Observers hope this will reduce price volatility and allow governments to plan ahead to stop food shortages.

But for anti-biofuels campaigners, addressing the diversion of already stretched agricultural resources to create fuel is a key aspect of dampening food prices, which rose to record highs this year, according to the UN.

“As more food stocks go into gas tanks, not stomachs, you have higher prices,” said Sarah Best, Oxfam’s policy adviser of low carbon development. “The G20 has got to get a grip on the relationship between biofuels and food price volatility.”

She argues that scrapping mandates on biofuels blends, as are being imposed in the European Union, and blending subsidies, as exist in the U.S., will be key to ensuring food production rises by the 70% the UN projects will be necessary to feed a world population of more than 9 billion by 2050.

Yet the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, said in a report published last week they expect biofuels to absorb 13% of global coarse grain production, 15% of vegetable oil and some 30% of sugar by 2020—an increase in all cases from the previous decade.

Supporters of biofuels argue they can actually help to stimulate food production by boosting agricultural investment and will be key to meeting targets for cutting carbon emissions for the future.

They point to other problems like building up world food stocks and reining in speculation in commodities markets—issues which are also expected to be pushed to the sidelines this week—as more important for improving food security.

“It may be vogue for certain groups to blame biofuels for global hunger issues…but that doesn’t mean eliminating biofuels policies will somehow put more food on the plates in developing nations,” said Geoff Cooper, vice president for research and analysis of the Renewable Fuels Association.

Certainly, a vote by the U.S. senate last week to eliminate a 45-cents-per-gallon tax credit for blended biofuel and regular fuel and a 54-cents-per-gallon import tariff on ethanol, points to changing attitudes towards stimulating biofuels production in one of the world’s largest users.

Still, for campaigners who have been expecting robust targets to come out of this week’s meeting, the dropping of biofuels from the G20 agenda will be another sign of government inertia in the face of the most pressing humanitarian challenge of our time.

www.djreprints.com

Germany to close nuclear power plants by 2022

2011-06-09T14:59:00.001-07:00

Neckarwestheim nuclear plant in Germany - the country will shut all its nuclear reactors by 2022. Photograph: Michael Probst/AP

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/30/germany-pledges-nuclear-shutdown-2022

So, recently, Germany has decided to phase out nuclear power completely by 2022.

"As expected, the coalition wants to keep the eight oldest of Germany's 17 nuclear reactors permanently shut. Seven were closed temporarily in March, just after the earthquake and tsunami hit Fukushima. One has been off the grid for years.

Another six would be taken offline by 2021, environment minister Norbert Roettgen said early on Monday after late-night talks in the chancellor's office between leaders of the centre-right coalition.

The remaining three reactors, Germany's newest, would stay open until 2022 as a safety buffer to ensure no disruption to power supply, he said."

My thoughts?

While I do understand the fears behind nuclear power-nuclear waste is an issue, and nuclear power plants need to be updated in order to make sure they are safe-I feel that shutting down all nuclear power in Germany-especially if that means cancelling any future plans for other types of nuclear power, is a counterproductive move.

Although the Fukushima incident was large and dangerous, it must be kept in mind that the literal worst case scenario happened-and the facility nearly completely weathered it. The sea wall that was to protect against a tsunami was designed for waves that were 5 meters smaller than the massive 25 meter waves that hit the plants. And it was the tsunami that wreaked much of the havoc on the power plants.

There were many coal and oil plants that were wrecked by the tsunami which leaked poisonous material into the water and land. Yet, the outcry over them has been far more subdued.

Condemning an entire branch of power supply-one that despite its problems, has viable solutions (thorium based power plants, recycling and reuse of nuclear waste, updating all existing plants with modern nuclear security protocols)-is not the way to phase out fossil fuels or phase in renewables. We don't have to necessarily build more nuclear power plants-they're incredibly expensive and take several years to actually come online-but to eliminate existing ones only opens the way up for more fossil fuel usage, as the industries still have quite some power in Germany. Yes, renewables are being touted to fill the gap, but it should have been fossil fuel plants, rather than nuclear power plants, that were being replaced (once again, not instanteously). Rather, nuclear power plants should be made more safe and be more thoroughly scrutinized, but still play their role in power generation (among other things, such as desalination). It is the dirtiest of fossil fuel plants-coal-that needs to be examined first, and needs to be replaced first.

~Adarsha

Our Work on Global Youth Service Day!

2011-04-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

We did it! Finally, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Hayward CA, is officially the first participant school in Global Call to Youth in the Bay Area. We could not have chosen a better day as April 15th was Global Youth Service day. The weather was gorgeous. We reached the middle school at 3 PM. We had 13 enthusiastic youth volunteers from the school. Mr. Joshua Bennett, Head of the after school gardening program, was instrumental in making this venture a huge success. Tameeka Kelly, our GCY coordinator and advisor for Hayward area, also participated in planting.

We sincerely thank the volunteers, Alexis Guitierrez, Pablo Rios, Brian Barajas, Tristan Squires, Kamal Gill, Jasdip Sekhan, Gerrick Puenas, Carlos Perez, Yousuf Amir, Story Amir, Shiva Kumar. Roman Johnson and Edison Reyes for being a part of GCY.

After working hard for 2-3 hours, we all had a pizza party to celebrate the event. This marks the official beginning of our local work. We are always welcoming volunteers who can help us extend this to other schools in low income neighborhoods in the Bay.

Please help us by making tax deductible donations to Project Jatropha.
~Apoorva

Why Sirona Intercrops Jatropha in Haiti

2011-04-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Subbanna, this is Michelle's response to your question:

Why Sirona Intercrops Jatropha in Haiti...

In Haiti, food land is precious. The majority of Haiti is covered in small mountains, meaning that the precious plains should be protected for food cultivation. Sirona Cares takes a strong stand against plantation model jatropha farming in Haiti for this reason. Monoculture farming is not the norm in Haiti. You find banana trees, pumpkins, beans, many different crops in the field of the small farmer. Unfortunately you also find exhausted soil. While one might think that farmers are working with us to intercrop Jatropha to gain financially, that is not their primary motivation. The reason that our tree planting costs are so incredibly low (.10 cents a tree) is that the farmers use their land and labor to forward the project. Sirona pays for the nursery set-up, tools, and management. Intercropping Jatropha does several things that the farmers need aside from the additional income potential. Jatropha plants put nitrates back into the soil, reviving it for food production. Jatropha protects topsoil from erosion helping the farmer mitigate against soil loss during the rainy season, and the by-products of the seed pressing process are, not only the oil, but a nitrate rich fertilizer and the key ingredient for a clean-burning charcoal substitute. Haiti is almost completely deforested at this time. Topsoil erosion is occurring at an alarming rate, and natural watersheds are deteriorating rapidly. Farmers see this and are searching for affordable solutions. Sirona Cares is giving them an option by providing free seedlings from our nurseries for the farmers to take to their land. We educate on safe intercropping that will result in no reduction of food production, and this model helps the farmers succeed in growing healthy Jatropha because they tend it with their crops. Jatropha seed production is directly related to care (water/fertilizer) that the plants receive.

In the initial rush internationally to capitalize on Jatropha farming for Jatropha oil, the plantation model was used the most. Not surprisingly the economics of that model frequently failed. Land purchase, loss of food crops, displacement of people, and field maintenance costs all create issues with the plantation model that are avoided by putting these trees in the hands of farmers in Haiti to intercrop. They also plant on hillsides to stop the erosion of soil and mudslides that are occurring due to deforestation. I returned from Haiti yesterday after meeting with leaders of 32 different farming organizations who are all excited to participate in this program.... And when we bring our press this summer and show them the oil, well, it will be a very exciting day. Only then will they see the vision that we have for Haiti. We build sustainable communities by placing the power to create, use and sell alternative energy in the hands of the worlds poor, and we have made our model with them rather than for them. We are always open to comments and suggestions, and I thank you for your question.

Michelle Lacourciere

Director, Sirona Cares Foundation.

Launching the Global Call to Youth in the Cesar Chavez Middle School

2011-04-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

The Project Jatropha team is very excited to announce that we are scheduled to launch the Global Call to Youth (GCY) in the Cesar Chavez middle school, Hayward, CA. This is our first school in the USA. Though the official planting is tomorrow, we started the actual work a few months ago. We are very happy to welcome Tameeka Kelly, an environmental activist, to be our GCY coordinator of Hayward region. She became interested in Project Jatropha in the beginning of 2010 when she was working as a director of EngageHer.org. She recognized the global significance of Project Jatropha and invited me to be a keynote speaker in a middle school girl’s leadership conference. Soon after learning about the GCY, our tree planting/fruit orchard program, she offered to help us work locally. Her knowledge and experience in working with local NPOs and high schools is a great asset for Project Jatropha. She has organized and worked progressively in the non-profit sector for 4 years, primarily focusing on multicultural youth.

She connected us to Mr. Josh Bennett, a fellow environmental activist and the coordinator of after school gardening club at Cesar Chavez middle school. After learning about our project, he welcomed our idea with open arms. We met with him at the middle school last month. We also got a chance to look at the landscape and available area to come up with a plan.

After the meeting, we decided that this was a perfect school to launch GCY for the first time in the Bay Area. Yesterday, the team met Josh at the Berkeley Horticultural Nursery to purchase the plants. The list includes germanium, sage, thyme, marigold, fig, golden delicious apples, sorrel, rosemary, curry leaves, etc. We enjoyed spending time at the nursery. The plants are waiting at the school for us to come by. It is a big day for us tomorrow. We are very excited to launch the planting venture on Earth Service Day involving the youth of Cesar Chavez middle school. I will do the next blog entry this weekend about our venture.

~Apoorva

Jatropha holds potential to be sustainable aviation fuel

2011-04-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Published: April 6, 2011 15:49 IST | Updated: April 6, 2011 17:23 IST Washington,, April 6, 2011 in The Hindu

IANS

AP Research teams conducted interviews with jatropha farmers and used field measurements to develop the first comprehensive sustainability analysis of actual projects. File Photo.

There is a significant potential for sustainable aviation fuel based on jatropha-curcas, an oil-producing non-edible plant, says a study released by Boeing.

The study, led by Yale University’s School of Environmental Studies, has shown that if cultivated properly, jatropha can deliver strong environmental and socio-economic benefits in Latin America and reduce greenhouse gas emmissions up to 60 percent as compared to petroleum-based jet fuel.

“Research study like this is vital to helping developers to deliver better social, environmental, and economic sustainability outcomes from jatropha cultivation,” says Rob Bailis, assistant professor at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

The study, conducted from 2008-2010 and funded by Boeing, used sustainability criteria developed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels to assess actual farming conditions in Latin America.

Unlike previous studies, which used theoretical inputs, the researchers’ team conducted extensive interviews with jatropha farmers and used field measurements to develop the first comprehensive sustainability analysis of actual projects.

A key study finding identifies prior land-use as the most important factor driving greenhouse gas benefits of a jatropha jet fuel. It highlights that developers should pay particular attention to prior land use when deciding where to locate jatropha projects.

A second important finding is that early jatropha projects suffered from a lack of developed seed strains, which led to poor crop yields.

“The invaluable insights provided by this study will help our airline customers to better understand the sustainability of this potential jet fuel source,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes director of environmental strategy Michael Hurd.

Cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, jatropha-curcas, is a poisonous, semi-evergreen shrub or small tree. It reaches a height of 6 metres (20 ft) and is resistant to a high degree of aridity, allowing it to be grown in deserts.

Printable version | Apr 7, 2011 9:52:18 PM | http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/article1605079.ece

Adarsha is the Keynote Speaker at an Environmental Youth Forum Tomorrow, Feb 17th, 2011

2011-02-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

Adarsha Shivakumar speaks at the California Film Institute's Environmental Youth Forum

Posted by Laura Bridgeman on February 1st, 2011

www.cafilm.org/education/eyf.html

The California Film Institute recognizes the educational value of films, and strives to inspire young people ages 12-18 through the annual Environmental Youth Forum. This event, on February 17, 2011, will be informative, entertaining, and will also feature Brower Youth Award 2009 winner Adarsha Shivakumar as a keynote speaker.

The forum’s focus this year is ‘the commons’, or the elements in society that we all share and that we are compelled to care for – such as water and air quality, sea and land ecosystems, and so on – which is something Adarsha knows all about. He was recognized by the New Leaders Initiative after co-founding Project Jatropha, an organization dedicated to promoting the Jatropha curcas plant as an ecologically friendly and economically profitable crop among the farmers of rural India. His ingenuity, coupled with his deep understanding of the ways in which the economy and environment interact, lead him to his solution which has helped local farmers as well as to mitigate climate change in an impressive win-win situation that policy-makers the world over could learn from and duplicate.

A passionate and driven individual, it is no wonder that the California Film Institute has requested his impressive presence in an attempt to inspire and motivate other youth to effect change of their own. Don’t miss this great opportunity to see Adarsha in the flesh, speaking to causes close to his heart.

Posted in Blog: The Greenest Generation

Dear Friends,
This is a re-post of the blog entry of The Greenest generation about his talk. Good Luck Adarsha!
Apoorva

The Young Activist's Guide to Building a Green Movement and Changing the World

2011-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

People who follow our blog are undoubtedly environmentalists who are interested in helping save our planet. I request all of you to take a look at this amazing book. I will guarantee you that you will end up buying it! It will be released on Feb 22nd but you can pre-order and reserve your copy. The link is provided on our bookshelf. This will guide you through the process of making sustainable impact on the health of our planet. I am reposting the product description here.
Product Description

A powerful and practical guide to environmental activism featuring proven strategies and lessons learned from the winners of Earth Island Institute’s Brower Youth Awards—America’s top honor for young green leaders.
Some of the world’s most inspiring and effective leaders aren’t even old enough to vote. In The Young Activist’s Guide, the director of Earth Island Institute’s Brower Youth Awards distills the hard-won lessons of its youth leaders into clear and effective strategies for getting organized, taking action, and making environmental changes that matter. This easy-to-follow, definitive resource explains how to plan a campaign, recruit supporters, hold a rally, raise money, attract media attention, pass legislation, lobby politicians, and more to make a significant and sustainable impact on the health of our planet.
All author proceeds from the sale of this book go to Earth Island Institute's Brower Youth Awards to support the next generation of young activists.

About the Author
SHARON J. SMITH is program advisor for Earth Island Institute’s Brower Youth Awards, a program that honors the best and brightest environmental leaders in the United States under 23 years of age. She has worked extensively with youth and student networks in the global justice, peace, and environmental movements.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

A Light in India

2011-01-11T10:32:00.001-08:00

January 10, 2011, 7:25 pm

A Light in India

By David Bornstein

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/a-light-in-india/?src=dayp

Fixes looks at solutions to social problems and why they work.

Tags:

electricity, India, innovation, Poverty, power

When we hear the word innovation, we often think of new technologies or silver bullet solutions — like hydrogen fuel cells or a cure for cancer. To be sure, breakthroughs are vital: antibiotics and vaccines, for example, transformed global health. But as we’ve argued in Fixes, some of the greatest advances come from taking old ideas or technologies and making them accessible to millions of people who are underserved.

One area where this is desperately needed is access to electricity. In the age of the iPad, it’s easy to forget that roughly a quarter of the world’s population — about a billion and a half people (pdf) — still lack electricity. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it takes a severe toll on economic life, education and health. It’s estimated that two million people die prematurely each year as a result of pulmonary diseases caused by the indoor burning of fuels for cooking and light. Close to half are children who die of pneumonia.

In vast stretches of the developing world, after the sun sets, everything goes dark. In sub-Saharan Africa, about 70 percent of the population lack electricity. However, no country has more citizens living without power than India, where more than 400 million people, the vast majority of them villagers, have no electricity. The place that remains most in darkness is Bihar, India’s poorest state, which has more than 80 million people, 85 percent of whom live in households with no grid connection. Because Bihar has nowhere near the capacity to meet its current power demands, even those few with connections receive electricity sporadically and often at odd hours, like between 3:00 a.m and 6:00 a.m., when it is of little use.

This is why I’m writing today about a small but fast-growing off-grid electricity company based in Bihar called Husk Power Systems. It has created a system to turn rice husks into electricity that is reliable, eco-friendly and affordable for families that can spend only $2 a month for power. The company has 65 power units that serve a total of 30,000 households and is currently installing new systems at the rate of two to three per week.

What’s most interesting about Husk Power is how it has combined many incremental improvements that add up to something qualitatively new — with the potential for dramatic scale. The company expects to have 200 systems by the end of 2011, each serving a village or a small village cluster. Its plan is to ramp that up significantly, with the goal of having 2,014 units serving millions of clients by the end of 2014

Husk Power was founded by four friends: Gyanesh Pandey, Manoj Sinha, Ratnesh Yadav and Charles W. Ransler, who met attending different schools in India and the United States. Pandey, the company’s chief executive, grew up in a village in Bihar without electricity. “I felt low because of that,” he told me when we met recently in New Delhi. He decided to study electrical engineering. At college in India, he experienced the Indian prejudice against Biharis — some students refused to sit at the same table with him — which contributed to his desire to emigrate to the U.S.. He found his way to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, N.Y., where he completed a master’s degree before landing a position with the semiconductor manufacturer International Rectifier in Los Angeles. His job was to figure out how to get the best performance from integrated circuits at the lowest possible cost. This helped him develop a problem-solving aptitude that would prove useful for Husk Power.

He was soon earning a six-figure income. He bought his family a diesel-powered electric generator. As a single man living in Los Angeles, he enjoyed traveling, dining out and going to clubs. “I was basically cruising through life,” he recalled. “But along with that pleasure and smoothness was a dark zone in my head.” He began meditating — and he realized that he felt compelled to return home and use his knowledge to bring light to Bihar.

Back in India, he and his friend Yadav, an entrepreneur, spent the next few years experimenting. They explored the possibility of producing organic solar cells. They tried growing a plant called jatropha, whose seeds can be used for biodiesel. Both proved impractical as businesses. They tested out solar lamps, but found their application limited. “In the back of my mind, I always thought there would be some high tech solution that would solve the problem,” said Pandey.

One day he ran into a salesman who sold gasifiers — machines that burn organic materials in an oxygen restricted environment to produce biogas which can be used to power an engine. There was nothing new about gasifiers; they had been around for decades. People sometimes burned rice husks in them to supplement diesel fuel, which was expensive. “But nobody had thought to use rice husks to run a whole power system,” explained Pandey.

In Bihar, poverty is extreme. Pretty much everything that can be used will be used — recycled or burned or fed to animals. Rice husks are the big exception. When rice is milled, the outside kernel, or husk, is discarded. Because the husk contains a lot of silica, it doesn’t burn well for cooking. A recent Greenpeace study (pdf) reports that Bihar alone produces 1.8 billion kilograms of rice husk per year. Most of it ends up rotting in landfills and emitting methane, a greenhouse gas.

Courtesy of Husk Power SystemsThe mini-power plant during the day.

Pandey and Yadav began bringing pieces together for an electric distribution system powered by the husks. They got a gasifier, a generator set, filtering, cleaning and cooling systems, piping and insulated wiring. They went through countless iterations to get the system working: adjusting valves and pressures, the gas-to-air ratios, the combustion temperature, the starting mechanism. In they end, they came up with a system that could burn 50 kilograms of rice husk per hour and produce 32 kilowatts of power, sufficient for about 500 village households.

They reached out to people in a village called Tamkuha, in Bihar, offering them a deal: for 80 rupees a month — roughly $1.75 — a household could get daily power for one 30-watt or two 15-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and unlimited cell phone charging between 5:00 p.m and 11:00 p.m. For many families, the price was less than half their monthly kerosene costs, and the light would be much brighter. It would also be less smoky, less of a fire hazard, and better for the environment. Customers could pay for more power if they needed it — for radios, TVs, ceiling fans or water pumps. But many had no appliances and lived in huts so small, one bulb was enough. The system went live on August 15, 2007, the anniversary of India’s independence.

It worked. Back in the United States, their colleagues Sinha and Ransler, who were pursuing M.B.A.s at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, put together a business plan and set out to raise money. They came first in two student competitions, garnering prizes of $10,000 and $50,000. The company received a grant from the Shell Foundation and set up three more systems in 2008. It has since raised $1.75 million in investment financing. In 2009, they had 19 systems in operation; in 2010, they more than tripled that number.

Technically, most of the problems were solved by 2008. But to make the business viable has required an ongoing process of what has been called “frugal innovation” — radically simplifying things to serve the needs of poor customers who would otherwise be excluded from basic market services due to their limited ability to pay.

In order to bring down costs, for example, the company stripped down the gasifiers and engines, removing everything non-essential that added to manufacturing or maintenance expenses, like turbocharging. They replaced an automated water-aided process for the removal of rice husk char (burned husks) from gasifiers with one that uses 80 percent less water and can be operated with a hand crank. They kept labor costs down by recruiting locals, often from very poor families with modest education levels (who would be considered unemployable by many companies) and training them to operate and load machines, and work as fee collectors and auditors, going door-to-door ensuring that villagers aren’t using more electricity than they pay for. (Electricity theft is a national problem in India, resulting in losses to power companies estimated at 30 percent. Husk Power says it has managed to keep such losses down to five percent.)

When the company noticed that customers were purchasing poor-quality CFL bulbs, which waste energy, they partnered with Havells India, a large manufacturer, to purchase thousands of high quality bulbs at discount rates, which their collectors now sell to clients. They also saw that collectors could become discount suppliers of other products — like soap, biscuits and oil — so they added a product fulfillment business into the mix.

And they found ways to extract value from the rice husk char — the waste product of a waste product — by setting up another side business turning the char into incense sticks. This business now operates in five locations and provides supplemental income to 500 women. The company also receives government subsidies for renewable energy and is seeking Clean Development Mechanism benefits.

With growth, human audits have proven inadequate to control electricity theft or inadvertent overuse. So the company developed a stripped-down pre-payment smart-card reader for home installation. The going rate for smart-card readers is between $50 and $90. Husk Power is near completion of one that Pandey says will cost under $7.

Alone, none of these steps would have been significant. Taken together, however, they make it possible for power units to deliver tiny volumes of electricity while enjoying a 30 percent profit margin. The side businesses add another 20 percent to the bottom line. Pandey says new power units become profitable within 2 to 3 months of installation. He expects the company to be financially self-sustaining by June 2011.

From a social standpoint, there are many benefits to this business model. In addition to the fact that electricity allows shop keepers to stay open later and farmers to irrigate more land, and lighting increases children’s studying time and reduces burglaries and snakebites, the company also channels most of its wages and payments for services directly back into the villages it serves.

For decades, countries have operated on the assumption that power from large electricity plants will eventually trickle down to villagers. In many parts of the world, this has proven to be elusive. Husk Power has identified at least 25,000 villages across Bihar and neighboring states in India’s rice belt as appropriate for its model. Ramapati Kumar, an advisor on Climate and Energy for Greenpeace India, who has studied Husk Power, explained that the company’s model could “go a long way in bringing light to 125,000 unelectrified villages in India,” while reducing “the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.”

It’s too soon to say whether Husk Power will prove to be successful in the long run. As with any young company, there are many unknowns. To achieve its goals, it will need to recruit and train thousands of employees over the next four years, raise additional financing, and institute sound management practices. Many companies destroy themselves in the process of trying to expand aggressively.

But the lessons here go beyond the fortunes of Husk Power. What the company illustrates is a different way to think about innovation — one that is suitable for global problems that stem from poor people’s lack of access to energy, water, housing and education. In many cases, success in these challenges hinges less on big new ideas than on collections of small old ideas well integrated and executed. “What’s replicable isn’t the distribution of electricity,” says Pandey. “It’s the whole process of how to take an old technology and apply it to local constraints. How to create a system out of the materials and labor that are readily available.”

Let me know if you’ve come across other examples of innovations that follow this pattern.

Join Fixes on Facebook »

David Bornstein is the author of “How to Change the World,” which has been published in 20 languages, and “The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank,” and is co-author of “Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know.” He is the founder of dowser.org, a media site that reports on social innovation.

Dear Friends,

I am reposting a fascinating article from The New York Times: The Opinion Pages about a unique approach to light in the darkness!

~Apoorva

Exciting News Flash from The Farmers Corner: Successful test runs using Jatropha Biodiesel

2011-01-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

In the first picture, Mr. Nanda, one of our farmer leaders of Rathnapuri colony, Hunsur Taluk is irrigating his pulse crop by using Jatropha biodiesel for his pump set.In the second picture he is using biodiesel to run his 5 HP diesel pump set to lift water to irrigate his field

Mr.Palani swamy of Coiamauthur colony is using Jatropha biodiesel to run his 5 HP diesel pump set to lift water to irrigate his Arecanut garden.

Dear Friends,
We start off 2011 with a great news flash. To refresh your memory, during the summer of 2010 Adarsha and I had purchased dried jatropha seeds from our farmers and transported it to Labland Biotechs for oil extraction and biodiesel production. In Labland Biotechs 30+ liters of pure biodiesel was produced using the seeds and given to the farmer leaders in two participating villages for testing. Under the leadership of Mr. Rajegowda and the rest of the Parivarthana staff, the test runs were performed very successfully. K.R.Nagar college students, Parivarthana field staff and retired bus conductor of KSRTC witnessed the test runs on the 23rd December 2011.
The results are encouraging. In the farmers own words, "i) emission of smoke is less and it has light pungent smell ii) engine runs very smoothly and iii) efficiency of the engine is good and it pulls water is very well." While demonstrating, the jatropha fuel was not mixed with diesel. The other farmers who witnessed the demonstration were very impressed with the results and are approaching Mr. Rajegowda, Director of Parivarthana to know the source of the fuel so that they can buy. In their own words "Where can we get this fuel??"
Looking back, two years ago, if some one had told me that we would reach this level in the project, I would not have believed. We are very happy that the farmers are getting a first hand experience in the biofuel usage. They can be the judge now. It is all up to them to decide if this is a viable option.
Happy 2011 to all the blog followers from Project Jatropha Team!

~Apoorva

Just wow: the Green Schools National Conference

2010-11-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
I am re-posting Adarsha's Nov 18th blog entry from ACE's blog: Hot and Bothered about the Green Schools National conference and Youth Summit in Minnesota.
~Apoorva

Disclaimer: The following description cannot possibly do justice to the incredible experience that I experienced. If you have any specific questions on an activity, comment and I’ll respond to the best of my ability.

Adarsha Shivakumar

Will Steger speaking at the conference

Continuing where I left off (or close enough)-I was the last person to arrive at the hotel where everyone was grouped. When I first saw Ethan and company, I was surprised to see high school students who were also seniors.

We knew the days ahead of us would be hectic and hard. We’re talking about meeting up with around a hundred students and teachers from the Minnesota/Wisconsin area, and seeking to not just inspire them, but to help them create concrete plans to act upon in the near future.

Our planning went well into the early hours of the morning, and jetlag didn’t really help me get more than 4 hours of sleep. At around 8AM Minnesota time, we went to the local church, which had graciously agreed to host the conference, and set up.

Around 9AM, the conference started. But we didn’t start off like how most conferences start off-with a speech or introduction that either bores or depresses (or some lethal combination of the two) the entire audience, speaker included. Instead, Ethan had planned out an ingenious way to energize everyone-an introduction based off of Awakening the Dreamer.

We started off by using just our feet and hands to create a rainstorm-and it was surprising how loud and realistic the effect was. One hundred people acting in unison can generate a lot of noise.

Continuing onwards, the National Youth Leaders, me included, sang Wavin’ Flag by K’naan, with Ethan on the guitar providing a beat. As we all started to wake up a bit more, Ethan introduced the next activities, which involved everyone in the room moving around and trying to empathize with random strangers.

Ethan then showed a video that really told us what issues, even just environmentally, we-my generation-face. And to be honest, after we watched it, the atmosphere was one of disappointment and resignation. But that was supposed to happen, in a sense. We had to understand the sheer magnitude of the problems that we’re facing-we can’t just tell ourselves that everything is fine, and that the problems are small and easy to overcome.

The truth is that we’re facing the biggest problems humanity has faced so far. But it’s not hopeless. It’s never hopeless. And what we’d do in this conference is show that not only do we have hope, but we also have the willpower to act on that hope. Two great people and great speakers-Phillippe Cousteau and Will Steger-came and spoke to us. They made sure to remind us that the youth held the power to change the world.

After they left, the entire group broke up and focused on different aspects of sustainability and the environment. The students and teachers split among the tables, and all of us went to several tables. After that, everyone rejoined and split up once more, this time into three groups. We were now focused on taking that hope that was starting to build in us and making it into reality.

The groups were led by adult mentors, and focused on three things-how to be an effective leader, how to conduct an effective campaign, and how to fundraise. Each was impressive, with the adult leaders using the projects that students were interested in starting up as examples and models.

But with the combined knowledge of all the lectures, we-the youth-felt more and more confident in creating and working on the projects that had been in our heads.

And so came the culmination of the conference: where each school that had visited, and any individuals, would write up an action plan. A plan that detailed what project they were going to do, a timeline, and the resources they think they’d need. Before this conference, I would’ve guessed that maybe 25% of the people could make an action plan, and fewer still would act on them.

By the end of the conference, every single group had an action plan, and I have no doubts that they will follow through with them. Because at the end of the conference, we all realized the purpose wasn’t really to tell us that we need to change the world, or even to just show us that the youth can change the world.

The purpose of the conference was to give us the foundation and the tools to change the world. It was made possible because people like Ethan and Phillipe Cousteau and Will Steger all believe that the youth will make a difference, and that they can help us accomplish our goals.

Based on any of those criterion, the conference was a tremendous success-and I’m ever thankful to ACE for sending me there.

Clean, cheap transportation – why Minneapolis has it right

2010-11-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
I am re-posting Adarsha's Nov 9th blog entry from ACE's blog: Hot and Bothered about his trip to Minnesota conference. Adarsha established new contacts which will help us in future. His next post will be about the conference itself.
~Apoorva

Minneapolis Light Rail

Last Sunday through Tuesday, I represented ACE and attended the 1st Annual Green Schools National Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Upon arriving at Minneapolis, the first thing that struck me was the rail system. I live in California, and specifically, the Bay Area. BART is the public transit system, but many people have legitimate gripes with it-it’s rather costly (going from the San Francisco airport to the general area of SF can cost $8), not aesthetically pleasing and often delayed. Perhaps that’s why I found the Minneapolis public transit system to be nothing short of impressive.

The trams themselves are well-designed, with specific vertical racks for bikes that are convenient, and a general openness that makes them more pleasing to ride on. The trams came on time and frequently, which would help explain the large number of people riding them. Stops were placed throughout the city and clearly marked off- I also noted that by putting them literally in the middle of the streets, they were the center of attention, rather than an afterthought.

The most stunning aspect of the Minneapolis public transit system is how cheap it is comparatively. To take me and Emily from the airport to a mere 10 blocks from our hotel cost a grand total of $3.50. This is by far the cheapest fare I’ve payed for traveling the distance we did.

By making mass transit so accessible, so cheap, and rather attractive, Minneapolis is setting a good example of how public transit should be done in this country.

Another example of how Minneapolis is really quite admirable is their system of bikes around the entire city. There are dozens of stations where green bikes (literally green!) are located. You can pay a small rental fee and take the bikes wherever you want in the city and drop them off at any other station. If I remember correctly, the fee was around $5 per month, and $50 per year-a very small amount, especially if a person bikes frequently in the city (and Minneapolis is a bike-friendly city it seems).

The stations are located in convenient locales, like near libraries, gyms, and large buildings. Biking in Minneapolis is also really enjoyable due to the nice weather (which I unfortunately did not experience much of), and the accessibility of bikes definitely results in more of the population taking cleaner forms of transportation.

All in all, even before the actual conference, I was very impressed by Minneapolis. It’s really a city that’s trying, and so far succeeding, in becoming more green, and more energy efficient. Not only that, but the streets are far less congested because of the use of mass transit and bikes. It seems to me that in terms of transportation, Minneapolis is a model city.

More to come on the conference itself…

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Charity vs sustainable development issues in Haiti

2010-11-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

Hello readers of the Project Jatropha blog,
My name is Michelle Lacourciere and I am the director of the Sirona Cares Foundation. The SCF uses Jatropha as a tool to empower Haitian farmers giving them the ability to create, use and market Jatropha oil in Haiti. SCF and Project Jatropha’s work share many commonalities, and we are proud of our partnership with them and honored to post on this blog.

Recently a reader here posed questions about Haiti, specifically about the role of NPOs there and the charity vs. sustainable development issue. I’m happy to respond with regard to the SCF role in Haiti. Our primary reason for being in Haiti, and eventually in other countries, is to bring true sustainable development to the poorest people there, the peasant farmers. We are creating an industry with many jobs, and all of the profits from this work will be eventually be controlled by a Haitian for-profit entity, Sirona Haiti and reinvested into the participating communities. Our goal is to create possibility where none exists now, to create a machine that will continue to enhance life in rural Haiti long after we have gone.

It is impossible to work in Haiti and see the condition that our communities suffer in and do nothing to help. Without losing our focus on sustainable development we also work to support those who care for and educate children. This critical advocacy role gives our orphanage and school directors a voice where they had none before. We have successfully linked them to resources supplied by other NPOs and individuals/groups here that wish to help in this area. We do this because we believe that children are the future, and in Haiti the median age is only 20. If we can help support these children and harness the energy of the change-makers who are in their late twenties we will be able to rapidly see change in Haiti. Response to our work has been tremendous, hundreds of farmers have enrolled, and we are well received in their communities because we work both to empower them, and to support their children. We are proud of the model, and excited to have made the progress that we did this year in light of the earthquake and recent cholera epidemic.

Sirona’s name was taken from the Celtic goddess of healing. We see the crippling effects of long-term charity in Haiti on every trip, and we work very hard to reverse them through empowerment and education. Our work uses on the “teach a man to fish” vs. “give a man a fish” philosophy. A SCF blog entry addressing this very issue is found at http://tinyurl.com/2bxe4ec. I hope that this has answered your questions, and again, I respectfully thank the Project Jatropha team for asking me to post here on their blog.

Michelle Lacourciere
The Sirona Cares Foundation
mlacourciere@sironacares.org

Music Speaks 2010: Audition -- [ReChoired: Sounds of Silence]

2010-10-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Good Luck to the Senior Octet of the College Preparatory School: Music Speaks 2010 Audition

2010-10-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Followers,

The YouTube video posted above is from the Senior Octet of our school comprising of Jacob Wilson, Aaron Pang, Mitchell Leoung, Tatianna Rosenblatt, Maya Ramachandran, Karli Anderson, and Nick Spears. They are auditioning for the Charity Competition called Music Speaks 2010 and would like to share this video. Music Speaks is a charity concert to raise money and awareness about Autism. The competing groups also get to choose a charity to donate to, and they have chosen Project Jatropha. We are very grateful for their choice, and wish them the best of luck. Once again, many thanks to the Senior Octet.
From,
Project Jatropha Team

How to green your school from Cali to Minnesota

2010-10-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
I am re-posting Adarsha's Oct 6th blog entry from ACE's blog: Hot and Bothered. This will be a great opportunity for us to establish new contacts with environmental youth leaders from all over the USA. Good luck Adarsha!
~Apoorva

How to green your school from Cali to Minnesota

October 6th, 2010 by Adarsha

This month, I’ll be representing ACE at the Green Schools National Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its goal is to engage high school students and drive them towards making their schools more sustainable.

There is a lineup of some pretty exciting-sounding speakers, including Phillipe Cousteau, the renowned environmental activist who is the voice and face of a lot of environmental education programs delivered online.

One of the programs – the National Youth Summit – focuses as an idea exchange for the youth interested in greening their local schools together and I think that the Green Schools National Conference Leadership Program interests me because I value efforts like this to spur greener schools.

This generation’s youth, through our action or inaction, will have a great impact on social, political, economic, and environmental issues.

It is vital to instill the importance of sustainability and the value of protecting the environment in the youth, who will keep those values and hopefully continue to act on them throughout their lives.

I hope to learn what schools from varying backgrounds can do to help green themselves and the surrounding environments as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to making local institutions more sustainable. By learning the various approaches other students are taking towards sustainable schools and bringing the knowledge I’ve acquired from working with ACE and my own project, I hope to learn about the various paths to sustainability, and help fellow students in their endeavors.

More to come after my trip north and east!

-Adarsha

How Did We Do: Labland Biotechs Perspective and Our Analysis

2010-09-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

As Apoorva wrote, we were excited about the 80 Kg(176.37 lb) seeds that the farmers collected in Thippalapura. However, when we met our Advisory Board members, Dr. Sudheer Shetty and Dr. Geetaa Singh of Labland Biotechs, they were kind of disappointed. According to their expert opinion, it should have been three times the amount that we got. They expected roughly around 525 lb.

Well, when I thought about this, I knew the reason for this difference. When we visited the villages this time, we saw lots of seeds that were on the plant or on the ground. The farmers have not collected all the seeds. The reason for this is, the conflict of time. The harvest time of tobacco and Jatropha overlaps. If we think about it, we know that their first preference is tobacco, that is their main cash crop. That leaves the seeds on their Jatropha plant unharvested. This is a problem that we anticipated, but not to this degree.

Some of the farmers who were adventurous enough to plant Jatropha on their regular land patch told us how much money they lost because of lack of that patch of land for tobacco cultivation. This is true. Jatropha will not reach its full potential for the first two years and if the farmers replace tobacco with Jatropha, they will lose their income for the first two years. This is the reason we are not asking the farmers to replace the only cash crop. We want this to be a slow transition. We want to give this as an option. It will be up to the farmers to decide after two years.

A Stove Run by Jatropha Oil at Labland Biotechs

However, we need to come up with a way to see to it that the farmers collect the seeds that their Jatropha plants' yield. If both plants are to be harvested at the same time, how can we do this? One of the ways we are thinking is encouraging the other family members like kids to get involved. This is where our Global Call to Youth comes in. As we have involved several rural schools in environmental education and tree planting, an idea hit upon us to see if we can ask them to get involved. This is our plan A for the moment. If any of you have other ideas, we are interested in hearing them. Right now, we're definitely open to suggestions.

Some pictures from the global call to youth!

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Finally The Time That We Were All Waiting For----

2010-08-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Followers,

Tuesday, August 10th, was a very cloudy day at our project site. However, that did not bother us as we were too excited. That was the day when the farmers from Thippalapura sold the collected dried Jatropha seeds from the project site to us! We were eagerly waiting for this day. We wanted to show the farmers that we meant what we had said two years ago. We would buy the seeds that they collected at the market price. Here are some of the pictures of the entire process.

One of the farmer leaders took the initiative of establishing a rural seed bank. He had established a very interesting protocol . Instead of each farmer selling the seeds to us independently, he convinced them to work together. The farmers took the collected seeds to the "Seed Bank" where they were bought for RS.7/Kg. He stored them in a dry place in his home and patiently waited for us to purchase them. They had collected 80 Kg of seeds. We paid Rs. 10 per kg so, he made a profit of Rs.3 per Kg!

Once we reached the "Seed Bank", we realized that we needed a weighing machine! Neither we nor the villagers had a weighing machine. It was no big deal though. We had to make an extra trip to the nearby rice mill in Hunsur, where we used their weighing machine to weigh the seeds. The farmers had collected 80 kg seeds. We were very happy with the amount collected. This was the first transaction that has taken place. This was the first time we bought the seeds from the farmers proving to them that we are in this for a long haul. They were very happy and we were very excited to buy the seeds.

The next step was to take the seeds to Labland Biotechs to extract the biofuel. We transported the seeds to Labland Biotechs. There, they will first determine the amount of oil content in the seeds before extraction. This time, we are going to get the oil converted into biodiesel and then distribute to the selected farmer leaders to do the test runs. Unfortunately we could not be there for the production of biodiesel because it was time for us to return to CA. We have made arrangements for our farmer leaders to collect the biodiesel from Labland Biotechs through the help of Parivarthana staff once the biodiesel is ready. I will update the results of the test runs once I have the results.

Honestly, we did not expect to see 80 Kg of seeds collected as most of the plants are just one year old. Since it was the first year, we never anticipated any yield, even if they had been pruning the plants as suggested. However, when we reached Labland Biotechs, their reaction was surprising to us. Adarsha will share their perspective in his blog post in a day or two.
~Apoorva

65% Survival Rate for Phase I and Phase II Jatropha Plants

2010-08-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Dear followers of Project Jatropha,

During our recent visit to India this summer (August 2010), we found out that the survival rate of the Phase I and Phase II Jatropha plants was 65%, which is pretty good-higher than I had anticipated. The dead plants were replaced with gap filling-a number which amounted to around 5000 plants. However, when we told Labland Biotechs the survival rate, they were surprised: Labland was expecting a survival rate of around 98%, which is what they had gotten while growing the plants in the field. Earlier, when we got the number of plants that survived from the farmers, they also provided us with the reasons for the plant deaths. In general, the farmers attributed their plant losses to erratic rainfall, which had been happening. However, upon closer inspection of several farmers' fields, this explanation did not quite make sense. We’d see two plots, each containing Jatropha (as a hedge or in the form of bunds), side by side. One plot would have Jatropha plants that were four or five feet high and fruiting (with multiple branches), while the other plot would have fewer plants, and the surviving plants would only be two or three foot high stalks with absolutely no fruit whatsoever. If erratic rainfall had been the cause of the dead plants, then two plots right next to each other should have had similarly sized plants. Labland Biotechs believes that the farmers did not take as good care of the plants as they should have, leading to the decreased survival rates. The plants that were closer to the cash crops of the farmers were the ones that grew better, which makes sense since the farmers would take care of the cash crops nearby. We hope that the gap filling will make up for the lost seedlings.

For Jatropha Plants Survival Data please click here!
Sincerely,
Adarsha

Project Jatropha's goal is not limited to promoting Jatropha cultivation

2010-08-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Adarsha and I have returned from our India trip. Sorry, we could not blog our adventures as we had no access what so ever to Internet! I remember, last year, I could blog a few times during our stay. This year, as we had only three weeks time, we had to stay put and work at the project site. We have made several interesting journal entries and will be blogging them in the coming weeks. Overall, it was a very productive visit.

Where ever we went, the journalists had one question/concern that we never anticipated. Though we clarified it over and over, I thought of sharing it with you all. The name Project Jatropha often caused confusion in the urban areas. People thought that we were promoting only Jatropha cultivation and we were bombarded with concerns about mono-cropping and its limitations. Actually when we launched this project, we were much younger. This was just a social experiment. We did not have big plans. We thought of trying this out by giving a possible alternative to tobacco cultivation. We never asked the farmers to give up tobacco in entirety. As we initially introduced Jatropha, Adarsha came up with the name Project Jatropha and at that time it was a suitable name. Once the project took off, we did a lot of research on other biofuel sources. We have included Pongamea and are in the process of introducing Simaruba, a novel biofuel plant. We will share more information about this useful plant in a separate blog post. Project Jatropha not only promotes the cultivation of Jatropha and other biofuel plants but also aims to provide environmental education to students of rural schools. We have done massive planting of useful forestry saplings to prevent deforestation involving scores of youth in the villages near Hunsur. This was a great experience. We have planted more than 25,000 forestry saplings involving 33 schools and 300 farmers by the end of this summer. Adarsha and I will blog our individual school stories in the coming weeks. We are very happy that our visit was very successful.
~Apoorva

Thank you CPS and BVB volunteers!

2010-07-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Dear readers of our blog,
Mission Accomplished! I am very happy to inform you all that the tree planting at Gowdagere Higher Primary School is completed. On July 1st, the students and teachers of CPS (Oakland, California) and BVB (Mysore, India) came together to launch the 2010 Global Call to Youth: Tree Planting Venture in rural schools. Mr. Rajegowda, secretary of Parivarthana, gave us a summary of events. The volunteers reached the school at 11 A.M. The headmaster of Gowdagere School, Mr. Mahadevaiah, and the school development management committee president, Mr. Doddaiah Nayaka, welcomed the volunteers. Altogether, 125 forestry saplings were planted. Teak, Silver Oak, Pongamia, Neem, Moringa, Papaya, Curry Leaf Plant(Murraya koenigii), and Ashoka were some of the varieties that were planted. The students also watered and added manure (vermi-compost). By 1 P.M., the planting work was completed. The Project Jatropha Team provided lunch for all the volunteers. According to Mr. Rajegowda, the volunteers mingled well with the Gowdagere School Kids. The language barrier was overcome as the BVB students acted as translators.

The CPS Volunteers

Mr. Andy Dean planting Jatropha

After finishing the tree planting, the volunteers visited the Jatropha plots of several Phase I & II farmers to assess the project's progress. They saw the different models such as intercrop, wasteland, regular land, and bunds. Mr. Andy Dean and a few CPS students symbolically planted three Jatropha seedlings in Mr. Santosh, a Phase II farmer for gap filling. Now, we are half way through the tree planting in the rural schools. When we visit the project site in August, we plan on completing our target of 30 schools for 2010. The supervision, guidance, watering, fencing, manuring, weeding, and plant protection will be done by the respective schools' students.

On behalf of the Project Jatropha Team, I would like to thank the volunteers for making this a HUGE success.

~Apoorva

Welcome CPS and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Student Volunteers to Our Project Site!

2010-06-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

Dear blog readers,

I am so excited to inform you all that it's a big day at our project site in India tomorrow. Our friends from The College Preparatory School (CPS) in collaboration with the students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan will be participating in the tree planting program as a part of the Global Call to Youth venture. I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed that we are not there to welcome them to the project site personally. Under the leadership of Mr. Rajegowda, the secretary of Parivarthana, we have chosen Gavadagere Higher Primary School (meaning middle school in the USA). We have chosen to plant to teak, silver oak, and pongamia saplings. The plan is to plant roughly 120 saplings. I hope that it's not going to rain heavily, but we have worked at the project site during heavy rains and it's quite fun! Especially to Adarsha, because he loves to jump in muddy puddles. :)

After the tree planting, the volunteers are going to visit Phase I and II fields. The farmers tell us that there are no ripe fruits at this time of year due to recent pruning. However, they can still see small unripe fruits. I hope that they can see the dried seeds collected by the farmers, but I'm afraid that the seeds have been sold recently to Labland Biotechs.

I can't wait to update you all about this venture once it takes place!

~Apoorva

Researchers find clues for developing biodegradable plastics from jatropha

2010-06-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

Bangalore, June 08, 2010 : In a major discovery, the Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar, India, has found a microbe useful in the manufacture of biodegradable plastic from aside-stream product of jatropha called ‘glycerol’, which is found during extracting biodiesel from the plant seeds. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-led Institute is all set to scale up its commercial production.

It is considered as a revolutionary advancement that is poised to tackle the challenge of ever-increasing environmental pollution posed by non-degradable plastics. As part of the Budapest Treaty on international recognition of deposit of microorganisms for patent procedure, the identified microbe has been deposited by CSMCRI with a repository.

In another significant development, General Motors in partnership with the US Department of Energy (DOE) is developing a new16-hectare plot and an existing 30-hectare jatropha farm in Bhavnagar. The joint DOE-GM funding would enable the CSMCRI to manage various activities at these farms. It is envisaged that lab-optimized strains of jatropha, produced through selective and marker-assisted breeding, would be cultivated at these farms. A complete life cycle analysis of jatropha plant would also help in evaluating the environmental impacts on this oil-yielding crop.

Dear friends,

I was very excited about this news and wanted to share with you all. We at Project Jatropha have been very busy with the project work. We will be updating our work though the blog posts as the summer is here.
Sincerely,
Adarsha

Project Jatropha wins the 2009 Presidential Environmental Youth Award

2010-06-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

2009 Regional Winners

EPA Region 9

Callie, Apoorva, Lisa P. Jackson, Adarsha, and Sharon Jang (Region 9 Coordinator)

The Project Jatropha Team

The PEYA Award Winners with President Obama and Lisa P. Jackson

We would like to thank PEYA and all it's staff for giving us the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama and Lisa P. Jackson, the administrator of the EPA, on May 21, 2010.

President’s Environmental Youth Award Winners Welcomed by Congressman Garamendi’s Staff - Honorable John Garamendi

2010-06-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Chief-of-Staff, Gary Cohen, speaks with local high school students
about BioFuel Initiative, before they meet President Obama

From left to right: Adarsha Shivakumar, Gary Cohen,
Callie Roberts, and Apoorva Rangan.

WASHINGTON, DC–The DC office of Congressman John Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek, CA), a member of the House Science and Technology Committee, welcomed and congratulated the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) winners for the southwest region. Since 1971, PEYA is award annually to young Americans for demonstrating excellence in protecting our country’s air, water, land, and ecology. Adarsha Shivakumar, Apoorva Rangan, and Callie Roberts, high school students at The College Preparatory School in Oakland, who live in Pleasant Hill and Martinez, earned the PEYA by founding Project Jatropha. Project Jatropha is a biofuel venture that seeks to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate global climate change.

As described by the students, "The Project Jatropha Team promotes the cultivation of Jatropha curcas, a perennial shrub with oil-rich seeds, as an ecologically friendly and economically sustainable source of alternative fuel production. To date, the work of Project Jatropha has supported the planting of 13,000 seedlings by more than 50 farm families in Southern India."

On Wednesday May 19th, Adarsha, Apoorva, Callie, their family members, and their EPA liaison were given a tour of the Capitol complex and Congressman John Garamendi’s office. Chief-of-Staff Gary Cohen spoke with the students about their project, the COMPETES bill to fund scientific research, and the Joint BioEnergy Institute. The Joint BioEnergy Institute is a partnership project that includes Lawrence-Livermore and Sandia National Labs and aims to develop the next generation of biofuels.

"I want to commend Adarsha, Apoorva, and Callie for their ongoing work on Project Jatropha. Unhindered by their young age and the scale of the problem, these students are courageously working to combat global warming. They approach this serious challenge with humility and youthful excitement," Gary Cohen said.

"This generation’s students enter a globally competitive labor market. Their success depends on the ability to work hard, think creatively, and adapt to quickly evolving market conditions," Mr. Cohen added "These three Bay Area students display these qualities in spades and serve as an inspiration to the many talented young students of the 10th District."

On Friday May 21st, the students joined other PEYA winners in meeting President Barack Obama.

More information about Project Jatropha is available at http://projectjatropha.com/
Contact: Adarsha Shivakumar at adarsha@projectjatropha.com
More information about the President’s Environmental Youth Award and the 2009 winners is available at http://www.epa.gov/peya/winners.html.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

2010-04-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

We wish You All a Very Happy Earth Day

Project Jatropha Team

What about Nuclear Power?

2010-04-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Dear readers of our blog,
I'm reposting Adarsha's blog post from the blog "Hot and Bothered". I think this post is particularly interesting because it details the pros and cons of using nuclear power. I always used to associate nuclear power with war. This is a new insight that will make us look at nuclear power from a different perspective.
~Apoorva

According to nuclear power advocates, this picture will be the true representation of nuclear power. According to people who hate nuclear power, this will be the epitome of the propaganda used by the pro-nuclear side. Which side do you think is correct, if either?

One of the most hotly contested alternatives to fossil fuel based power is nuclear power (primarily fission). The debate over whether nuclear power should be included in a cleaner energy infrastructure has been going on for decades, and is becoming an ever greater topic as the energy needs of our nation grow along with our emissions.

Recently, Obama passed a bill that gave additional funding for nuclear power plants. The bill was highly controversial, and the issues about nuclear power plants once again became prominent. I myself support nuclear power with certain conditions. I believe that it is necessary to not dismiss, and preferably develop nuclear power technology as it can help supplement the clean energy given by various, more conventional renewables such as solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and wind power.

One of the major problems facing nuclear power plants is cost: it can take upwards of several billion dollars to build or retrofit a reactor that meets all the required safety guidelines. Another problem is the state of current reactors: many are several decades old (in America) and consequently are degrading, which does pose a safety hazard. Yet, both of these problems are fixable.

France is an example country where nuclear power is being successfully used on a large scale. The biggest problem facing nuclear power is the disposal or storage of waste. Spent nuclear fuel remains radioactive for thousands and thousands of years, and must be packaged in special, expensive containers that still leak small amounts of radiation. Storing these containers and the thousands of tons of new waste produced every year has proven to be incredibly difficult. The Yucca Mountain in Nevada, which was going to be the main storage site of spent nuclear fuel in the US, was ruled out due to its proximity to fault lines (among other issues). This inability to safely store spent nuclear fuel for lengthy periods of time is the primary criticism leveled against expanding nuclear power. New breeder reactors are being developed that can turn spent nuclear fuel back into usable fuel that cannot be weaponized. This process kills two birds with one stone by eliminating fuel storage concerns and providing reactors with more fuel. Breeder reactor technology seems to hold great promise for the future of nuclear fission based power, and I believe that more funding for it would help enable its implementation.

There are still BIG hurdles nuclear power faces, such as the admittedly prohibitive costs of building and maintaining reactors, as well as the general condition of the plants. But, considering all sides of the issue, I feel that it is unfair to not even consider nuclear power when it offers so many benefits and its shortcomings can be solved.

The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Alliance for Climate Education

Our Sponsor Michelle Lacourciere was honored with an ‘Unsung Heroine’ award in recognition of their work with orphans and families in H

2010-03-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Followers,
I am reposting an article published in FogCityJournal.com. We are very proud to inform you all that Michelle was one of the six San Francisco women who received the award on International Women's Day. Congratulations Michelle! You totally deserve it!

~Apoorva

Six San Francisco Women Honored
on International Women’s Day

Posted By admin On March 10, 2010 @ 12:08 am In Events, Human Interest, Politics |

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Global Arts and Education (GAE) honored six outstanding San Francisco women Monday, March 8, at the Civic Center Holiday Inn. International Women’s Day has been celebrated since 1911. In 1975 the United Nations designated March 8 an official holiday.

As many as 200 guests attended the International Women’s Day Awards Breakfast
held at the Civic Center Holiday Inn, March 8.Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, recipient of the Extraordinary Public Service Award, was introduced by her brother, Michael Ma, who joked about following in his sister’s shadow. He spoke seriously of her drive for education and lifelong commitment to improving the lives of others. Assemblywoman Ma set the tone for the morning with a passionate speech about her commitment to service.

Former Mayor Willie Brown presented the Unsung Heroine Award to Farah Makras and Michelle Lacourciere of the Sirona Cares Foundation (SCF). For years before the devastating earthquake in Haiti, SCF has been working on the ground in Haiti to help children and their families. Michelle said there was a desperate need for fingernail clippers in Haiti to prevent disease.

“There is no sanitation no running water and they must eat with their hands,” GAE Executive Director Bradford-Bell shared with the crowd. “I think we should pledge right now to donate 1,000 clippers to Sirona Cares.”

Willie Brown raised the challenge to 50,000.Walgreens, a corporate sponsor of the event, immediately jumped on board and is sending the first 1,000 pairs of fingernail clippers to Haiti. According to Lacourciere, each pair of fingernail clippers can save as many as 5 lives. Reaching the 50,000 goal will save one quarter of a million lives. BART and Yerba Buena Engineering and Construction also provided generous sponsorship for the event.

The good people at Walgreens, pictured with Farah Makras and Michelle Lacourciere,
pledged to send 50,000 nail clippers to Haiti.San Francisco City Administrator Ed Lee presented San Francisco Human Rights Commissioner Zula Jones with the Community Advocate of the Year Award. In the tradition of International Women’s Day, Lee presented Zula with a gift and said it’s “about time” Zula was honored and recognized for her work.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty presented BART Director Lynette Sweet with the Annie M. Powell Community Service Award. Annie Powell, who feared she would not make it to age 25, was gunned down in the Bayview just twelve days after her twenty-third birthday. Supervisor Dufty and BART Director Sweet have vowed to help find ways and create policies to bring an end to the senseless loss of our youth.

Marily Mondejar moved the crowd with an emotional speech after accepting the award for Organization of the Year on behalf of the Filipina Women’s Network. Mondejar was presented the award by San Francisco Entertainment Commissioner Al Perez who sits on the board of the Filipina Women’s Network. The organization received the award for its fight against domestic violence with Mondejar offering that she was a survivor of domestic violence.

Reese Isbell, District Representative for Senator Mark Leno, brought Certificates of Recognition from the Senator. Each honoree and GAE received commendations from the Senator.

“I’m thrilled,” said Bradford Bell. “Senator Leno is a very special person whom I admired greatly.”Isbell brought his niece, Mariah Isbell-Becerra, to the awards breakfast. Typical of a sixteen-year-olds, Mariah wasn’t thrilled to be up so early during spring break, but it was clear she was having a great time.

“Get use to it. You’re going to attending lot of breakfast events when you get into politics,” Bradford Bell teased from the podium.

“I could not have dreamed of a better event,” added Bradford Bell. “Everybody gave above and beyond what I asked for. The Holiday Inn chef created a special frittata just for us and the guests had only good things to say about the food.”

Plans are now underway for the March 8, 2011, International Women’s Day Summit. In the coming weeks, GAE will be looking for volunteers and organizations who wish to participate. Anyone interested in volunteering for a committee should contact Shelley Bradford Bell at sbb@globalartsandeducation.com. To received updated information on the 2011 Summit, send an email to info@globalartsandeducation.com and type “IWD Update - Subscribe” in the subject link

Article printed from Fog City Journal: http://www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress

URL to article: http://www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress/2010/03/10/six-san-francisco-women-honored-on-international-womens-day/

The Haitian earthquake and how it relates to climate change

2010-02-06T10:04:00.001-08:00

Dear Readers of our blog,
I'm reposting Adarsha's blogpost from the blog "Hot and Bothered." I love this post because it details the relationship between the devastating Haiti earthquake and climate change.
Sincerely,
Apoorva

The Haitian earthquake and how it relates to climate change

February 3rd, 2010 by Adarsha

When the earthquake struck Haiti, hundreds of thousands of people died, were injured, or were displaced. Millions more lost family, and the country, even now, is in a state of ruin. The loss of life and devastation to the infrastructure of the previously-poor country will take years, if not decades to recover from. Experts had predicted the Haitian earthquake sometime beforehand, yet they were unable to know when exactly the earthquake would strike. Earthquakes are a kind of natural disaster that we do not have the power to predict, let alone stop (yet). However, there are things that we can do-not build buildings on fault lines, and reinforce the ones that are so that they are less prone to falling or being structurally compromised if an earthquake does happen. Anthropogenic climate change is different as it is a large issue that has been primarily caused by man. Although its effects are not immediately as big-and it is a problem that CAN be mitigated we are not taking this issue seriously. We can see the effects of climate change, and though we may not be able to exactly determine the tipping point, we know general indicators of the status of the situation (polar ice caps, permafrost, etc.). Humans need to realize that like earthquakes, the consequences of climate change are devastating. Hundreds of thousands dead due to famines and changing weather patterns, plus the hundreds of millions displaced due to rising sea levels are staggering consequences.

Climate change will be a disaster if we don’t start mitigating it right now. Unlike earthquakes, we can change our actions to help mitigate climate change (by adopting cleaner technologies and making our lifestyles more sustainable).The important thing to note is that although there ARE natural disasters which we CAN’T prevent, like the Haitian earthquake, we CAN help prevent or mitigate climate change if we all come together and work towards it. Finally I urge every one of you choose your own DOT (Link to what a DOT is here: http://www.acespace.org/dot) and join us against the fight against climate change.

Adarsha

EDIT: Well, it seems that climate change may indeed have an effect on tectonics after all, according to this link: which, if proven true, further demonstrate the Pandora’s box we might be opening.

Whose job is it to fight climate change?

2010-01-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

Dear readers of our blog,
I am reposting Adarsha's blog post from Alliance for Climate Education's blog "Hot and Bothered". I especially like this post because it details the global significance of Project Jatropha.
~Apoorva

Whose job is it to fight climate change?

January 22nd, 2010 by Adarsha

Actually, with global warming, icebergs such as these will be nonexistent! Problem solved!

As I read the events of Copenhagen meetings, several questions came to my mind. When we look at the scale of the climate change problem, we have to ask ourselves: is it too late? Are we even able to make a dent in this monster? If so, isn’t it the governments job to fight it? After much deliberation, I came upon answers. First of all, it isn’t too late yet. Combating climate change is like trying to steer an oil supertanker-a lengthy, difficult, and precise process. While it is certainly daunting, to paraphrase John F. Kennedy, “if the problem is manmade, it is possible that the solutions may also be manmade”. The resources that are needed are immense. In the past, only governments could mobilize these kinds of monies. The issue is that climate change is a global problem on the scale that no single government can afford to fight it. This is where the citizenry’s collective efforts can make the difference. What is needed are mass movements at grassroots levels. We need to educate people and show them that the tools needed to help fight climate change can be simple, accessible, and affordable.

Why do the developed nations have a stake in helping developing nations to combat climate change? Amongst most nations, there has been a general consensus that anthropogenic climate change is real and that we need to act now. However, the consensus breaks down, just as it has at Copenhagen, when it comes to how much responsibility each of the nations has for cleaning up the mess. The developed nations think that irrespective of past CO2 emission history, all nations, rich & poor alike, must share the burden of reducing CO2. When I tried to get a sense of the current understanding in India, it was an eye opener. For the majority of people, climate change is not a priority as there are other issues, such as meeting basic necessities of life. Most of the intelligentsia feels that it is the rich, industrialized nations that created the problem, and they must bear a proportionate burden of the remedial measures. The politicians in developing countries are also subject to as much public pressure and opinions, as are the ones in the developed countries. In developing countries with colonial pasts, submitting to such international conditions is often perceived as neocolonialism. Consequently, these nations are very reluctant to impose emission regulations.

During a time when there are major differences between developed and developing nations as how to mitigate climate change, Project Jatropha aims to demonstrate the commitment of the youth in developed countries to environmental issues that affect the developing nations as well. My sister Apoorva Rangan and I co-founded Project Jatropha in December 2007. In rural South India, many farmers cultivate tobacco as a cash crop. This has forced them to cut down the tree cover and forests for firewood. The processing of raw tobacco leaves in the kilns (barns) itself produces large amount of CO2 and other pollutants. Project Jatropha combats both poverty and environmental degradation using Jatropha curcas, a small perennial shrub with oil-rich seeds. It can grow on marginal lands with fewer agronomic inputs, without diverting valuable land from food grain production. Jatropha biofuel has a ready, large global market, owing to its small carbon footprint. In addition, by providing an alternative crop to tobacco for rural farmers, deforestation and the burning of large quantities of firewood can be reduced.

Project Jatropha is empowering the poorest of the poor farmers with a simple technology and an economic incentive by demonstrating that biofuel can be produced in a sustainable and economic way. In our social experiment, the farmers have become part of the solution to the problem of climate change. A developed nation such as ours will stand to benefit greatly by being an enabler of such types of endeavors even if it means the people helped are nine thousand miles and twelve time zones away. Such actions will demonstrate that the US is able to walk the walk and talk the talk. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “We need to become the change we wish to see in the world.” Project Jatropha has started on a small scale, but I hope it will help to inspire others to start movements of their own.

For more information please visit: www.projectjatropha.com

-Adarsha

Aid Drop Location Information

2010-01-22T12:16:00.000-08:00

Dear readers of our blog,

The Project Jatropha Team will be at San Francisco helping our sponsor, The Sirona Cares foundation in sorting the donations received for the Haiti Relief Effort on Saturday afternoon. If any of you are interested in joining us, you are welcome to do so. I am attaching the information about location and hours below.

The address is: 188 King Street, San Francisco. There is no signage on that address to avoid a “dumping” issue for the building owners. 188 is clearly marked, and the sorting room is directly across from the Willy Mayes Gate at the Giant’s stadium. Hours are M-F (9-9) and Sat. (12-8). If the door is locked, the security guard at 188 King Street will let you in. Please bring a friend and sort as long as you like, it’s easy, and the directions should be posted in the room. Many hands make light work! Tax receipts are available, all donations are tax deductible. Thanks in advance for offering not only your donations, but your time, for the people of Haiti.
Sincerely,
Apoorva

Please Join hands in Haiti Relief Efforts

2010-01-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I am reposting the blog post of our Advisor and Sponsor, Michelle Lacourcire from Sirona Cares Foundation blog. Some of you have emailed us asking information about donations of goods to Haiti. This has all the details. We at Project Jatropha are doing everything we can for the cause, and we request you to do the same. The Haiti kids could use all the help that they can get.

Sincerely,
The Project Jatropha Team.

January 17, 2010
With Love, From San Francisco... Haiti Relief

DSCN4299 Everyone is moving so quickly, and I although I have been asking for donations for a year for our work in Haiti I could never have imagined the compassion of people here, and the desire of people to give. Sirona is opening the door. If you have more time than money, collect donations and bring them to 190 King Street in San Francisco. The owner of the property has donated the space for sorting, and we will be there receiving. We sort, fold, and box everything in plastic bins which will be used in Haiti for years. If you haven't been there, you don't know the many lifes of a plastic bin, but the goods a family collects will be kept dry, they will use it first as a suitcase to hold their entire life's belongings, then someday it will be a bathtub. Perhaps even a gas station. Haitians need these bins, as they need everything else.

If you are near San Francisco or itching for a reason to come: 190 King Street is our drop spot. Go to 188 King Street if we aren't there and Philip, the security guard, will let you in. Unload (park on the sidewalk) and then move your vehicle (south of the Giant's stadium is best) and then come back to sort. I'm serious, if you are sitting somewhere wishing you could do something like go to Haiti, come here. You will be busy, and feel the blessing of delivering good to Haiti.

We are unsure when the drops will begin, but we are certain of our Haitian partners who are ready to get aide to those in need. Below (breaking the rule for 300 word on a blog, sorry) is our list of items. Here is our position: If you have more time than money, give Haiti your time. If you have more time than money, either donate to us or Partners in Health, Dr.s without Borders or the Red Cross. This is not the time to compete, it's time to pull together. Here's the list (tax deductible donations are on site, or can be e-mailed to anyone requesting them). Mesi in advance, Kreyol for "THANK YOU" Photos are from Day 1 in San Francisco's drop spot.

Items we accept:

* Clothing, including new or used underwear, for all ages. It would be incredibly helpful if these donations could be separated (babies, small children, large children, women & men’s clothes).
* Shoes, all sizes
* Medical Supplies: Gauze, Tape, Neosporin, Tylenol/Advil (Generics OK)
* Kotex and Cloth Diapers
* Towels and Sheets
* Plastic Storage Boxes (Large) for packing, shipping and giving Haitians something to store their personal effects in. If you can bring nothing else, bring these!

Posted by Michelle Lacourciere at 7:17 AM |

Please Join Our Hands to Help The Earthquake Victims in Haiti

2010-01-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

Our sponsor Michelle Lacourciere, The Executive Director of Sirona Cares Foundation heads many projects to help the children of Haiti from past couple of years. Please visit her blog for more information about her work at
http://www.sironacares.org

The kids at the orphanages need more help now than ever. They need food, water, shelter etc. Please make a donation and help save their lives. The money goes directly to rebuild schools and orphanages that Sirona Cares Foundation work with. The situation is dire. Please view the pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/missionofhope/EarthquakeJan122010#5426275089676835250

From the Project Jatropha Team

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T17:49:00.000-08:00

Have a great year filled with joy and happiness! Happy New Year from the Project Jatropha Team!

"Our aspirations are our possibilities."~Samuel Johnson

Love,
Adarsha
Apoorva
Callie

Part 2 of Copenhagen Analysis

2009-12-31T17:46:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons for "business as usual" at the Copenhagen meetings is because many people, don't get the magnitude of the impacts of climate change. For instance, a 2-3 degrees Celsius increase in global temperatures over the course of the next 50-100 years (the estimates vary considerably, so I'll use these longer range for the sake of my example), is not very perceptible, as it is over the course of one, or even two or three lifetimes. In addition, the consequences, such as a rise in sea levels of only a couple feet, or weather that's a few degrees warmer, don't seem to be too significant. Yet, the impacts of global warming can lead to the destabilization of nations (such as Bangladesh and drought-ridden countries), and the deaths of millions (due to increased droughts, increased range of diseases, and increased severe weather-hurricanes, El Nino's, etc., and changes in "normal" weather patterns [changes in monsoon times, etc.]). Yet, if the people dying or getting injured aren't close to us, then many people can't relate and therefore can't understand or altogether dismiss climate change as a mild threat, when in reality, it is one of the greatest threats ever. Consequently and regretfully, I believe that until a large number of people are suddenly and detrimentally affected by climate change very close to/in America, the issue will take a backseat.

-Sincerely,
Adarsha

Pointing fingers at soot : An article from The Hindu

2009-12-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hey readers of our blog!

I thought of sharing this interesting article from The Hindu with you all. Happy Holidays!

~Apoorva

Pointing fingers at soot
N. Gopal Raj

Short Life: While CO2 stays in the atmosphere for centuries, soot stays aloft only for days to weeks; ozone persists for just weeks to months.-- Photo: AFP

Soot absorbs 80 per cent of the solar radiation it receives; directly warms the atmosphere

It is no longer just greenhouses gases and their ability to produce global warming that scientists worry about. Concern has been growing over the role played by soot.

Fine particles of soot result from the incomplete burning of fossil fuels and biomass. Soot is produced by diesel engines, the burning of coal, forest fires, burning of crop residues and when firewood and dung is used as household fuel.

Soot particles absorb 80 per cent of the solar radiation they receive and directly warm the atmosphere, said S.K. Satheesh of the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

Cloud burn off

Absorption of sunlight by soot could heat the surrounding atmosphere to such an extent that clouds “burn off,” suggested Dr Satheesh in paper published in Nature in 2000 that was co-authored with V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California.

Soot in the atmosphere could be having as much as 60 per cent of the current global warming effect of carbon dioxide, observed Prof. Ramanathan and G. Carmichael in a review paper published in Nature Geoscience in 2008.

The increased levels of soot and other pollutants in the atmosphere were reducing monsoon rainfall over India, said Prof. Ramanathan and others in another paper in 2005. Droughts might double in frequency if the emissions continued unabated.

However, William Lau of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in the U.S. and others have suggested that the soot from northern India along with dust from the deserts of western China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East were producing an ’elevated heat pump’ over Tibet.

The effects

The rising hot air produced by enhanced heating drew in warm and moist air over the Indian subcontinent. Consequently, there could be an “advance of the rainy periods and subsequently an intensification of the Indian summer monsoon,” they remarked in a paper published in 2006.

More recently, there has been concern over soot hastening the melting of the Himalayan glaciers.

“Over areas of the Himalayas, the rate of warming is more than five times faster than warming globally, remarked Dr. Lau at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in California earlier this month. The ‘elevated heat pump’ could be contributing as much or more to atmospheric warming in the Himalayas as greenhouse gases.

Besides, soot being deposited directly on the glaciers too seemed to be playing a part. Chinese and American scientists published this month the results of research that looked at ice cores from the Tibetan Plateau. “We find evidence that black soot aerosols deposited on Tibetan glaciers have been a significant contributing factor to observed rapid glacier retreat,” reported James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and others in their paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A.

Cutting soot emission

In a recent article in the magazine Foreign Affairs, Jessica Seddon Wallack, director of the Centre for Development Finance at the Institute for Financial Management and Research in Chennai, and Prof. Ramanathan have argued that reducing soot and ozone precursors could rapidly slow the pace of global warming, thus giving efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions time to get off the ground.

Emissions of soot and ozone precursors could be brought down significantly at relatively low cost with technologies that already existed. While carbon dioxide could remain in the atmosphere for centuries, soot stayed aloft only for days to weeks while ozone persisted for just weeks to months.

Reducing the emissions of these pollutants would quickly lower their concentration in the atmosphere and, in turn, their impact on global warming, they pointed out.

For U.S. dollars 15 billion, 500 million households could be provided with clean stoves, Prof. Ramanathan was quoted as saying in a recent media report. These families were currently using firewood, coal and dung as fuel and the switch would greatly reduce soot production.

Undesired result

Cutting soot levels in the atmosphere might produce the opposite effect – an increase in warming rather than a reduction, pointed out Dr. Satheesh,. He received the Bhatnagar Award this year.

Much of the warming of the atmosphere occurred when the earth’s surface became heated by radiation from the sun. Removing soot could increase the amount of sunlight reaching the surface, thereby leading to greater warming of the atmosphere.

One recent study showed evidence of such an effect in California where reduction in soot levels after about 1980 led to a statewide surface temperature increase.

Keywords: carbon emissions, soot, soot emission, NASA

We can challenge India on Copenhagen goals: US TNN 22 December 2009, 01:24am IST

2009-12-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

* China
* India
* US
* Copenhagen talks

NEW DELHI: Even though the final document in Copenhagen contained no legally binding commitments by anybody, US officials are claiming the right to unilaterally verify or review what India and other countries are doing.

Forced to defend the deal, White House senior advisor David Axelrod told CNN that the Copenhagen Accord would allow US verification. "Now China and India have set goals. We are going to be able to review what they are doing. We are going to be able to challenge them if they do not meet those goals," Axelrod said.

While this was probably intended to keep the enraged constituencies of US labour unions at bay, who had insisted that Barack Obama come back with a commitment from India and China for carbon cuts and their verification, these statements will only fuel a fire in countries like China and India. Besides, the government will be asked to come clean on whether the Copenhagen document was another nail in the Kyoto Protocol coffin.

The developed countries have tried all means to junk the protocol, and introduce a new framework where the developing countries take on some of the burden.

The US assertion is sure to figure in the debate in Rajya Sabha on Copenhagen text on Tuesday. Many political parties and NGOs have already come out against it, with the Left citing it as yet another instance of government succumbing to pressure from the US.

They are sure to cite Axelrod's remarks as vindication. "This was not the end of the road. The end of the road would have been the complete collapse of those talks. This is a great step forward," Axelrod said. Obama called it a meaningful beginning while British PM Gordon Brown lashed out at China and its friends.

The European nations, who were ultimately left out of the final deal-making, leaving Obama and the BASIC bloc (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) to strike the last bargain, are looking for more ways to get around the final text. In fact, over the next few months, the world will see a growing clamour to remove climate change negotiations from the UNFCCC and move it to a G20-like framework.

Sitaram Yechury of CPM, accusing the government of "shifting goalposts", said there was no clarity in the accord. "The accord is deeply ambiguous with several loopholes and the possibility of different interpretations, particularly with regard to emission cuts by developing countries, and fund and technology transfers," he said.

The government will be hard-pressed to defend signing on to the Copenhagen agreement, specially when there is no commitment from the developed countries on technology transfers. The battlelines were already drawn on Monday, with the Left parties leading the charge.

"Whether it is George Bush or Barack Obama, the narrow self-interests of America must prevail over the interests of the world community. The apprehensions of all poor nations that ultimately a deal will be imposed by the US has proved correct. It is a sorry spectacle of succumbing to US pressure," the CPI central secretariat said in a statement.

For Obama, it had a domestic political benefit. Since he stuck to the letter of the Waxman-Markey Bill in negotiating for a deal in Copenhagen, Obama had the added advantage of leveraging the climate deal to move his healthcare legislation forward.

QnA: Have the G77 countries been able to stall the West's attempts to kill the Koyoto Protocol?

Dear Blog Readers,
I thought of posting this interesting article from Times of India. I will follow up with the discussion soon.
Adarsha

Part 1 of an analysis about COP15

2009-12-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of weeks, I have been closely following the Copenhagen meeting, and have posted several links on the blog. As of today, the meeting officially finished, and the results are…mixed, to say the least. The Guardian recently posted an article that highlighted the failures of the meeting (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/copenhagen-deal), and I agree with the general assessment presented in the article. The fact that no actual, tangible goals were set/fixed upon at the meeting is disappointing-yet, it shows business as usual in the world. Obama’s policy at the meeting seemed to be “don’t walk away empty-handed, get some goals accomplished, even if they’re reduced and rather modest.” The Guardian also had this interesting, and arguably accurate quote regarding the meeting as a whole: “Lumumba Di-Aping, chief negotiator for the G77 group of 130 developing countries, was scathing: ‘This deal will definitely result in massive devastation in Africa and small island states. It has the lowest level of ambition you can imagine. It's nothing short of climate change scepticism in action.’” Lumumba does have a point when he says that the negotiations produced a very small level of results. In fact, like stated earlier, no actual LIMITS were set…just a purposely ambiguous goal to make sure that temperature levels do not rise beyond 2 degrees Celsius this century. It’s important to note that no agreement on HOW this goal would be accomplished was reached. Obama even admitted that this meeting is only the beginning of much, much more work. Yet, at the same time, it is disappointing to see so little progress at the meeting. To read more about the differing opinions about the Copenhagen meeting, here’s another link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/climate

This is just part 1 of my analysis on the Copenhagen meetings, and several more parts will be posted in the coming week.

-Sincerely,
Adarsha

Climate conference emits its share of carbon By MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press Writer , Yahoo News

2009-12-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

COPENHAGEN – If they fail to reach a climate deal in Copenhagen, world leaders flying in their private jets and huddling in five-star hotels will have little to show for their efforts beyond a big, fat carbon footprint.

The U.N. estimates 40,500 tons of carbon dioxide will be pumped into the atmosphere during the 12-day conference — 90 percent of it from flights. The rest comes from waste and electricity related to transport to and from the conference center and lodging in and around the Danish city.

Most of the leaders were flying either on commercial airlines or government-owned jets and Sweden was one of the few to announce plans to offset those aviation emissions — something it does routinely. Most are doing nothing to boost their green credentials and some saw no reason to treat their trip to the U.N. climate talks any differently.

"This prime minister is the last person in India or maybe even the world to do anything for effect," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's spokesman Harish Khare. "It'll be a normal visit, like any other visit by the prime minister." Singh was scheduled to travel in a private jet to Copenhagen for security, his office said.

Those traveling on commercial flights include Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajjiva, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and Finnish President Tarja Halonen.

Barack Obama is traveling on Air Force One, French President Nicolas Sarkozy in his special Airbus and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on a presidential jet nicknamed "Aerolula."

A handful of Europeans made a point of taking the train, like the environment ministers of the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Few environmentalists at the conference made an issue of the carbon footprints from more than 100 world leaders. They were more worried that governments are failing to make progress on reaching a global climate pact.

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg — who often gives green advice to Norwegians — was criticized at home, however, for deciding to take a private jet from Oslo to Copenhagen rather than one of the 17 shuttles that daily make the hour-long run between the two Scandinavian capitals.

"If he tells everybody to take the bus, take the train, stop wasting energy, then you'd have to expect Stoltenberg to sacrifice something too," said Oerjan Holm, vice president of the Norwegian Conservation Society.

A statement from Stoltenberg's office said he decided to travel by private jet because he wanted the "flexibility" to match the somewhat unstable schedule of the climate conference. It added that the government buys carbon credits at the end of every year to offset the prime minister's air travels.

Some activists said leaders should at least find ways to make their trip more sustainable, especially if they aren't serious about reaching a deal.

"There is an obsession by world leaders to be able to come in here with big entourages on their special airplanes, land at the airport and be driven in big limousines, with bigger entourages," said Asad Rehman, spokesman for the environmental group Friends of the Earth.

"What they should be looking at is how they could travel here with the minimal carbon impact that they can have," he said. "But also, more importantly, are they coming here to actually sign a deal and make a deal that will save both the people and the planet? If they're coming here with an empty pocket and empty promises, then they should stay at home."

Susan Burns, the chief executive officer of the Global Footprint Network, a California-based sustainability research institute, said it would be wrong to scale back negotiations over concerns about carbon emissions, especially with so much work to be done.

"They should have a Copenhagen every month until they figure this out," Burns said. "We need to spend our carbon very wisely. And getting world leaders together and locking them in a room while they get this done is one such investment, as is investing it in the economy of the future."

Climate summits, which attract thousands of delegates and are often held in far-flung or glitzy locations like Barcelona and Rio de Janeiro, are easy targets for critics.

The last big climate conference, in 2007 on the Indonesian island of Bali, blew through 47,000 tons of carbon — equal to the daily emissions of Marseilles, one of the biggest cities in France. Delegates were criticized for running their air conditioners as they chatted in beach-side villas.

This time, it's the idling limos waiting in subzero temperatures to shuttle delegates between their hotels and the conference center.

Organizers from the Danish government said they were doing everything they could to minimize the conference's carbon footprint.

They have reduced emissions 20 percent through a number of energy efficiency measures, promoted public transport, encouraged hotels to provide environmentally certified rooms and installed efficient lighting in the conference center, according to Jan-Christoph Napierski, who heads conference logistics for the Danish Foreign Ministry.

They are offsetting the rest of the emissions by investing in a program to upgrade antiquated brick kilns in Bangladesh with the help of the World Bank.

"Bangladesh is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change and there's a great need to assist the country with technology and capital contributions," said conference president Connie Hedegaard. "In addition, the project will result in significant environmental improvements for the local community, where particle pollution from the existing old brick works is clearly visible."
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved

2009-12-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

Girls (and Boys) Gone Wild
Why should policymakers, investors, and businesspeople care about youth in Copenhagen? 1

* Terry Tamminen
11 Dec 2009 11:30 AM
by Terry Tamminen
*
Posted in
o Politics,
o Climate & Energy,
o Business,
o Living Green

Grist\\'s coverage of Copenhagen climate talks

Of the estimated 20,000 people converging on the U.N. climate conference this week and next, half of them are expected to be under the age of 30. My colleague in Copenhagen, Kristina Haddad, reports, “I observed that many in the crowds of people were young. Most were wearing t-shirts or passing out flyers that essentially pleaded for the world leaders to do the right thing—to stop the talking and compromise and really do something about this crisis or they will have no future.”

She went on to describe how a group from India unraveled a banner at the conference center that had notes, drawings and messages from hundreds of children making similar demands. Others took cellphone photos of themselves with a cardboard cutout of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (the real Governator will speak to delegates next week about the benefits of a low carbon economy). And organized groups of these young people met with U.N. climate czar, Yvo deBoer, to press their views.

“Trust is something that is earned,” he told them, “and the [climate negotiations] process is something that has not yet earned your trust. Keep it up…negotiators must be reminded of why they are doing what they are doing.”

Other than the anti-war campaigns of the 1970s, it’s hard to recall a movement that has been so embraced, even motivated, by the world’s youth. Solving the climate crisis is not the only thing these young people are focused on—they are also inventing, embracing, and sharing the solutions. Twitter, Facebook, Badoo, Bebo, MySpace, and Flickr are among the most active social networks that are ablaze with discussion about climate change and tips of what to buy, what to avoid, and other ways to reduce their carbon footprints.

Why should policymakers, investors, or businesspeople care about this? Because these are the voters and consumers of the next 50 years and they’re very serious about this low carbon thing. A marketing exec once explained to me why the 18-34 age group was so important—they will buy several cars, for example, in their remaining lifetime, while someone at age 55 may only buy one more. He wanted those youthful eyes, ears, and brand loyalty focused on his products and spent millions to understand that coveted age group. Ditto the politicians, as they think of future elections.

Well, neither marketers nor political consultants need spend a penny on polls and focus groups this month, but should spend a few minutes surfing the web and looking at the social networking sites to understand how deeply rooted this youthful interest is when it comes to climate change. Then, look at your own products—supply chain, corporate carbon footprint, packaging, and other contributors to their carbon footprints. If a reasonable observer (or an angry, unreasonable youth) would consider your products a net plus for climate change, find a way to communicate that and become part of the solution. If your products are more on the carbon-heavy side, I suggest a makeover pronto.

Mr. DeBoer is right—trust on this topic must be earned, but any investment now by a company to be a meaningful part of these young people’s low-carbon future will pay handsome dividends for generations to come.

Terry Tamminen is the former secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and is now a policy adviser and author. His latest book is Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of our Oil Addiction.

Global Day of Action on Climate, the world demands a Real Deal. | Oxfam International Blogs

2009-12-12T20:33:00.001-08:00

Global Day of Action on Climate, the world demands a Real Deal. | Oxfam International Blogs

Posted using ShareThis

The international youth climate movement–a force to be reckoned with

2009-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

The international youth climate movement–a force to be reckoned with

Can’t be in Copenhagen in Person?

2009-12-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

Can’t be in Copenhagen in Person?

COP15 Officially Opens

2009-12-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

COP15 Officially Opens

The importance of transparency and credibility in award applications

2009-11-29T11:14:00.001-08:00

Dear friends,

We hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving. This post addresses several concerns and questions raised by the followers about the awards. Let me start this by informing you that I am no expert in this field. However, I would like to share my opinion as we have applied and won a couple of international and national team and individual awards last year. Our team is relatively small compared to a team of 8-10 members. I will try and address all of your concerns by saying one vital point. The accuracy of the information in the application is very, very important. If one stretches the truth, the whole credibility of the project will be at stake.I can't stress this enough.

1. We do have a big panel/advisory committee consisting of very educated adults which include teachers, scientists, and NPO directors, both from India and USA. We welcome their constructive criticism. In my opinion, having adult mentors like your school teachers is very vital for getting objective advice.
2.In our case, the adult mentors have pointed us in the direction of award. They have nominated us for individual awards as well.
3. An application for a team award should be very simple. Many of the team awards allow 8-10 kids to be a part of the team. I strongly feel that the whole team should pool in their individual efforts to make a strong application. Having said that, there is a catch. Some of the team applications have individual pages, where every team member must write about his/her personal contribution/individual role in the project. Every team member has to be very honest and write accurately . If the team is bigger, maybe the team can consult an adult mentor to check the credibility of the individual pages. The awards committee will not care who has done what, they look at the overall accomplishment as a team. On the individual page, one needs to write a first person story rather than saying WE. You have to stick to what you have done.
4. If 2-3 people have done a task together, then it it best to write their names along with yours instead of being ambiguous and writing we.
5. Applying to individual awards is rather simple. Most of the top awards need a nomination. One of the teachers or adult mentors usually nominate the students. In my opinion,it is also okay to approach a teacher asking for a nomination if you think you have a strong case.
6. More than one person from the same team can apply for the individual award. Anyone can apply for the individual award. You don't need permission from the team but in my opinion, it is a good idea to inform the other teammates that you are planning to apply for the award. Here the accuracy is vital. I can't stress this enough. Individual awards will be based on what that particular person has done. You can't write what the team has done. That would be wrong. If an individual stretches the truth, the whole credibility of the project will be at stake. To give you an example, I was nominated for Brower Youth Awards 2009. Though I am the leader, I can't claim that we raised $15,000 in two year. The word we is very ambiguous. what I have to write is the team raised $15,000. Supposing I have raised $5000 under my leadership, I have to be very specific, and write something like under my leadership the team raised $5000 of the total 15,000.
7. Trust me, if your application is considered for the award, the committee will check the credibility of the application from several sources. There will be interviews, required references, etc. to back up your claim.
8. The number of years worked is very important. There will be eligibility rules. You will have to have spent a minimum amount of time before you apply. In most cases you need at least one year of service, unless you have done an extraordinary accomplishment, then I am sure you can make an exception. However, for team awards, you can be a new member, and if the other team mates agree, then you can be a part of the team.
9. The important thing is, you need to be able to defend your position on the project. One of you have asked me that you have raised $4000 or so, with no title. I don't think that you need to worry. In your individual application/page you specify that you have raised $4000 out of total $5000. I think you may need a mentor intervention if the treasurer or the financial director in charge who has spent 14 months on the project also claims that he/she has raised $5000 under his/her leadership.
10. About co-nominations for individual awards, My sister Apoorva and I are cofounders and we did not apply for any individual awards. We were nominated. I think this was possible because we were siblings living under the same roof. But I may be wrong. It might be a good idea to approach the Awards Committee before making the application ready.
11. On a final note, in my opinion, having adult advisers is the key step to the problem solving. They will be more objective and impartial. One thing to remember is, the committee checks the credibility of the application. As long as you stick to the truth, whether it is a team or individual award, you have nothing to worry about.

I hope this helps. Good luck to all of you for the upcoming awards/contests.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Fund Facts

2009-11-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. Anuradha Rajput with Adarsha and Apoorva at the 2009 International Eco Hero Awards Reception on October 24, 2009.

Hello Blog Followers,

This is Apoorva Rangan. I thought of addressing the fund raising issues in this post in response to several comments and questions. First of all, I am very happy to inform you all that we have been successful in fulfilling the financial obligation of $15,000 towards the phase I and II of our project. I would like to take this opportunity to thank two very important people from our advisory committee for our success. First of all, Mrs. Michelle Lacourciere, executive director of Sirona Cares foundation, sponsored our project to attain a nonprofit status. This was a big deal for us. We could not have done this by ourselves, because we learned that the annual operating cost of a nonprofit organization itself is very expensive. As Sirona Cares foundation handles that for us, any funds we collect directly goes into our project. Though this is remarkable, Sirona Cares is not financially sponsoring our project. We need to come up with the funds on our own. With the current global recession, fund raising has been one of our main challenges.

As I am the cofounder of the project, and took the financial Director’s role from day one, I know how we have come up with every single penny! Ours is a unique project with a unique approach to fund collections. This is where Dr. Anuradha Rajput’s role comes in. She has been our financial anchor in India, in addition to being a member in our advisory committee. We started the project with a total sum of $650, which was the cash prize Adarsha won in the CA State spelling championship in 2006. By October 2009, we have roughly $15,000. Pretty impressive right? Firstly, Dr. Rajput guided us in the right direction. She researched the available awards in the environmental service area and nominated us. The first award that we won as a team was the 2009 T4PE Gold service award. The team (Adarsha, Callie and I) won $1000 together and we all contributed the entire cash prize towards the project. Next, she nominated Adarsha and me for The International Eco Hero award 2009, and the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes 2009 for which we both won a total of $500 and $2500 respectively. Adarsha and I donated that entirely towards project Jatropha. Very recently Adarsha won the Brower Youth Award 2009. He received a cash prize of $3000 which he contributed towards the project. So far, we have collected $7000 from the awards alone. We want to thank Dr. Adrianna Smyth for nominating Adarsha for Brower Youth Award. In addition, Adarsha also donated his annual earnings of $1200, and adding the $650 of his earlier contribution so far makes our total to $8850. I collected the rest of the $6150 from the generous donors in India introduced by Dr. Rajput. We’d also like to thank to our family and friends for their contributions toward our project. This is a short summary of our fund raising tactics.

Lately Callie and I have been exploring other fund raising opportunities. Callie suggested that we do a bracelet sale in the local schools! Not any bracelet, but ones that are popular in our project site. These are the colorful glass bangles that the rural women wear. I took Callie’s suggestion and contacted Dr. Rajput for help again. Luckily, she was visiting CA in October. She lives in Bangalore which is 120 miles away from the project site. As we needed the bulk supply, she took the help of 10 of the workers to find 200 bangles from 12 different shops. She packed them carefully and delivered them to us three weeks ago. Next step is to make the sale. We will let you know how this plan works out soon. Wish us good luck!

Here's a glimpse of the bangles!

~Apoorva

The Global Significance of Project Jatropha

2009-11-04T16:49:00.000-08:00

I have met several environmentalists in the past eight months during workshops, presentations, and conferences. Most of them are very impressed with what Project Jatropha is doing, but some of them have asked me how the project helps America when the project site is all the way across the other side of the planet. In order to answer this question, we have made some changes in the web site home page and I thought of making a blog post too.
Carbon dioxide emissions are local, but their effects are global. There are one hundred and ninety four countries on this globe, big and small; their boundaries are fixed but the air that they breathe is shared. No matter who contributes how much to the CO2 burden, all nations suffer together. The USA is one of the largest producers of carbon dioxide in the world, and if we don't start decreasing emissions and transitioning away from fossil fuels, the repercussions will be felt throughout the world. We are looked upon as a world leader but if we do not lead by example, we are destined to be followers. It is of the utmost importance that this transition starts now, because if emissions are not curbed significantly by 2050, then the tipping point of climate change will be reached. In addition, a transition away from fossil fuels is key to not only creating countless new jobs in green industries, but also in mitigating the impact of peak oil and decrease the amount of pollutants in our atmosphere. This is where Project Jatropha comes in. Jatropha curcas is a carbon sink, taking carbon dioxide out of the air and putting it into the ground. The bio fuel produced by the seeds provides a clean, alternative source of energy that not only helps reduce emissions, but also is able to be used in all kinds of vehicles. In addition, by providing an alternative crop to tobacco for rural farmers, the burning of large quantities of firewood, which releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, can be reduced. By demonstrating that biofuels can be produced in a sustainable and economical way, Project Jatropha hopes to start a mass movement to mitigate climate change across the entire world.
Sincerely,
Adarsha

Thank You Note from Adarsha Shivakumar

2009-10-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank Mr. David Brower and his family for creating this award.
I would like to thank the following people for their help with Project Jatropha:

Our Collaborators:
-Mr. Rajegowda, the secretary of Parivarthana
-Dr. Sudheer Shetty the CEO of Labland Biotechs.
-Dr. Geetaa Singh, Managing Director of Labland Biotechs
Our Sponsor of nonprofit Status
-Mrs. Michelle Lacourciere, The Executive Director of Sirona Cares Foundation

-My teacher Dr. Adrianna Smyth for the nomination.
-Mr. Doug Senz , my swim coach and most importantly my life coach who made me believe anything is possible
-Dr. Anuradha Rajput our financial anchor in India.
- Mr. Drew Gerber, CEO, and Mr. Shannon Nicholson, VP of Sales, of Wasabi Publicity for taking a genuine interest in our project and offering guidance and support to construct and maintain the presskit 24/7 free of charge.
- My valuable Teammates, Apoorva Rangan and Callie Roberts, without you, I could not have done this
-Sharon Smith, Program Director, New Leaders Initiative and Brower Youth Awards,
-Earth Island Institute and Celia Alario our PR guru for all their help, support, time, advice and patience.
-I am very grateful to the farmers who are willingly participating in this social experiment.
-Finally I thank all my friends , faculty of the College Preparatory School and the followers of the blog.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Adarsha Shivakumar Wins the 2009 Brower Youth Awards

2009-10-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

Youth receive Brower Awards for environmental work
October 19th, 2009
By Harriet Blake

As the Nobel Prize Committee noted in awarding President Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize last week, the world is in a better place than it was a year ago.
The world also is in a better place thanks to six young people who are being honored on Tuesday for their heroic environmental efforts. The 2009 Brower Youth Awards, sponsored by Earth Island Institute, will be given to:

•Sierra Crane-Murdoch, 21, of Vermont, for helping unite the movement to fight coal.
•Adarsha Shivakumar, 16, of California, who has put into place a biofuel solution in rural India.
•Diana Lopez, 20, of Texas, who started an organic food source in San Antonio.
•Hai Vo, 22, of California, for transforming food purchasing at the University of California.
•Robin Bryan, 21, of Manitoba, whose project protects 1 million acres of forest in Canada from industrial logging.
•Alec Loorz, 15, of California, who initiated Kids vs. Global Warming and is the youngest presenter of Al Gore’s “The Climate Project.”

Each award recipient will receive a $3,000 cash prize and be recognized at 10th annual Brower Youth Awards Gala in San Francisco. The Earth Island Institute, which sponsors the Brower Youth Awards, is a nonprofit group that recognizes people who come up with solutions to protect the planet. The common thread that connects the six winners is their youthful idealism and shared passion.

Taken from http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2009/10/19/youth-receive-kudos-for-environmental-work-via-brower-awards/

Importance of Fertigation in Jatropha Cultivation

2009-10-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

We decided to make a new post to emphasize the importance of water and fertilizer in Jatropha cultivation in response to the recent comment by Mr. Ihab Kenya. We admit that we are not experts in Jatropha cultivation. This summer, Apoorva and I received agronomic training regarding Jatropha curcas. We rely on the advice of scientists like Dr. Sudheer Shetty and Dr Geetaa Singh, who are considered to be experts in Jatropha cultivation. We have repeatedly advised our participating farmers that moderate irrigation for the first few years of plant's life is vital. The following YouTube video explains it better. I have also attached a part of our previous blog post to make my point.

Jatropha curcas CAN grow in wasteland or marginal lands-however, it will NOT grow enough or produce enough fruit to be ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. Like any other cash crop, Jatropha needs to have inputs-fertilizer, water (these two mainly in the first 2-3 years of the plants life, where it is still in the important growth phase) and maintenance. Farmers cannot expect to get something from no input. I cannot stress this enough (hence the use of capitalization at strategic points)-although Jatropha can grow on poor soils, it needs care like any other crop in order to achieve its full potential. Rest assured, Project Jatropha is having the farmers plant the high-quality seedlings on rain-fed, decent soils and has also provided the farmers with agronomic training to enable them to maximize the seed output of the plants given. It is imperative that wherever Jatropha projects are undertaken, especially in coordination with small farmers, that an emphasis is placed on the need to cultivate the plant if one wants to produce an economically viable quantity of seeds.

Part of this video clip shows the difference between Jatropha plants with irrigation and without irrigation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5HkDhNleqQ

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Barron Prize Announces 2009 National Winners

2009-10-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

"Boulder, CO, September 15, 2009 – The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, an award that honors outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet, announces its ten 2009 national winners.

The 2009 winners of the Barron Prize represent great diversity from all across the country. Winners each receive $2,500 to be applied to their higher education or to their service project. The 2009 winners are:

The 2009 winners are:
Otana, age 15, of California, whose in-depth research on the harmful pulmonary effects of ozone emitted from some air purifiers has led to a ban on the sale of these devices in the state of California.

Katie, age 11, of South Carolina, who has rallied hundreds of community members to assist her in creating several large-scale vegetable gardens in order to help feed the hungry.

Alexander, age 18, of New York, who founded “New York To New Orleans” (NY2NO), a non-profit group that has organized 15 trips for nearly 500 students from 35 different NYC high schools to do volunteer work in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

Becca, age 18, of Utah, who created “AstroTots Space Camp for Little Dippers,” a free science camp for disadvantaged girls that is now offered in cities across the U.S.

Adarsha and Apoorva, ages 16 and 14, of California, who co-founded “Project Jatropha” to promote the use of the Jatropha plant as an eco-friendly and economically sustainable source of biofuel in rural India.

Emily, age 17, of South Carolina, who founded the “Need to Read Book Club,” a non-profit organization that has raised over $17,000 in order to buy and distribute nearly 4,000 new children’s books.

Jonathan, age 18, of Pennsylvania, who created “Helping Hunger,” a student-driven organization that “rescues” food from caterers and restaurants and transports it to soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

Sejal, age 17, of California, who founded “Girls Helping Girls,” a non-profit group that has trained over 5,000 girls in nearly twenty countries in tackling problems such as poverty, education, and health care in their communities.

Rachel, age 14, of Texas, who has written a book profiling non-Jews who rescued Jews during the Holocaust. Through sales of her book, she has raised $13,000 to help support elderly non-Jewish rescuers, most of whom are living in anonymity in Europe.

Sujay, age 15, of New York, who has invented a technique using genetically-modified bacteria to convert waste into ethanol at a fraction of its current cost. Sujay has also founded ReSight, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides sight-saving eye surgeries for disadvantaged children in Southern Asia.

The Barron Prize was founded by author T.A. Barron and named for his mother, Gloria Barron. "

We would like to thank T.A. Barron, the Barron Prize Founder, and Barbara Richmond, the Executive Director of the Barron Prize, for choosing us. We will be reinvesting the $2,500 back in to the expansion of Project Jatropha.

Sincerely,
Adarsha and Apoorva

Answers and Explanations

2009-10-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Dorris Eaton Families,

Thank you very much for your enthusiastic response. It's certainly a pleasant surprise. Mrs. Pentopoulos tells me that donations are pouring in, and this means a lot to us.

With regard to your concerns about the tax issues, yes, we have attained a nonprofit status due to the generous sponsorship of the Sirona Cares Foundation. Your donations are tax deductible no matter which project you plan on supporting. We have different projects which need your help. All the funds collected will go into one account, so if you are paying by check, please make the check payable to Project Jatropha.

The Global Call to Youth is the massive tree planting project. We are teaming up with Ms. Michelle Lacourciere, Executive Director of the Sirona Cares Foundation, our sponsor, to accomplish our goal. We are exploring all the possibilities to involve youth around the globe to participate in this project. One such effort is the planting of useful fruit saplings in orphanages and rural schools in Haiti, India, and in schools in low income neighborhoods in the Bay Area. We have already started this project in India. We have planted useful saplings in three rural schools near our project site. If you are particular about where your funds need to go, all you need to do is write an email to one of us and we will guarantee the funds will be used to provide saplings to the area of your interest. If you can sponsor more than 10 saplings for local schools and are interested in knowing the details about your sponsorship, we can even inform you what kind of saplings and where they are planted by a personal email. If you have any questions about the Global Call to Youth, please don't hesitate to send an email to me at adarsha@projectjatropha.com.

The Branching Out Movement is relatively new. This is involved with more humanitarian approach. For this, the Project Jatropha team collects clothing, flip flops and children books for the kids in orphanages in Haiti. Yes, these donations are tax deductible too. If you want more information about this please email callie@projectjatropha.com

I hope I have answered almost all of your concerns. We are very grateful for your donations. Please keep them coming.

ONE MORE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Our Advisor, and partner Michelle Lacourciere 's work is featured in Silicon Valley Mercury News!!Please read the entire article by visiting
http://tinyurl.com/ybobwt4

Sincerely,
Adarsha

What I've Been Thinking About Lately...

2009-10-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

Start something new; think it will go one way, only to find it leads you down a totally different path.

Lately, I have been thinking about how much I have learned from working on Project Jatropha. Not about bio fuels, Jatropha seedlings, intercropping, but about people and their spirits. It is easy to see how we differ in our cultures, but not as easy at first to see the similarities. As I have learned about people who live far away, those with differing ways of life, customs, philosophies, I am realizing how much we are all truly the same.

No matter what our situation in life, people are able to be happy. I have learned that impoverished does not mean unhappy. There are many happy children in the orphanages; they are happy in their families, communities, and home. Their surroundings are what they know, and no matter how bad their life may seem to me, it is the life these children know. They smile, laugh, and play, rising above the impoverishment. It is this image that has taught me to respect all people, regardless of their plight in life. I have learned never to judge others.

Apoorva, my friend and partner in Project Jatropha took pictures of many of the children and women in rural southern India on their last trip in June. Apoorva had this wonderful picture of a very old woman, sitting alone on the dirt floor under a thatched roof, apparently with so little. I could see no running water, and no walls to shelter her. I felt so bad for such an old woman living in these poor conditions. Apoorva told me how this lady sits and sings. Again, very humbled. Try to think beyond your own perspective. TRY!

I have learned to respect the human spirit, because it is capable of having hope, and fighting to rise above life’s difficulties. The human spirit is truly amazingly optimistic, replenishing, and enduring; how wonderful a lesson I have learned from my work with Project Jatropha.

Humility learned from others.

One time when we offered shoes to children in an extremely rural area, we were turned down, they told us that these children had developed calluses on the bottom of their feet, and if they were to wear shoes and then not have them, their feet would bleed and blister. It seemed so obvious, but yet I never thought of it. Again, I was humbled. I truly feel humility at how little I know.

Through my work with Project Jatropha, I have learned of children who are orphaned and abandoned. Children who struggle to survive each day. They struggle with illness, malnutrition, and lack of water, shelter, clothing, and other basic needs. I am humbled by the good in people, those who help others and make personal sacrifices for others. The orphans in Haiti and India have wonderful selfless people there that are trying to take care of them. They have people like Michelle Lacourciere, Executive Director at Sirona Cares trying to support them in so many ways. She runs a foundation that works in third world communities to stop the progression of poverty and ecological destruction. In Haiti she has supplied children with medication and toiletries. She works with the Moringa Project that strives to reverse the effects of malnutrition. She has launched water projects to help orphanages have clean water. Through Michelle I have participated with Flip-Flop Fleet, an organization that provides shoes to impoverished children in third world countries. I have collected clothing, shoes, and funds from my friends and communities for children in Haiti and India. I have collected French children’s books for efforts in establishing Reading Rooms to encourage literacy and help children begin a love of reading. The more I do, the more I find needs to be done.

I have seen the beautiful faces of children in Haiti and India that have so little. How these images have motivated me to care, and to try and help. I am receiving less tangible rewards. Individual growth. Respect for others. Appreciation. Humility.

Much Love,
Callie

A Unique Experience with a dual role of a virtual farmer and plant pathologist

2009-09-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

Pictures of microorganisms isolated from the seed coat of Jatropha Curcas
Gram Positive Rod

Gram Negative Cocci

Aspergillus

Rhizopus

Dear readers of our blog,
As we have received a couple of emails with inquiries about the training we underwent in Labland Biotechs in August 2009, we thought of sharing our experience. Labland Biotechs is a plant biotechnology company located in Mysore, India. It has a modern biotechnology lab and a green house for mass multiplication of different plants, including Jatropha curcas.They are our collaborators and advisers. They supplied the high quality Jatropha seedlings to the farmers and provided agronomic training. They have also made a commitment to buy the seeds from the farmers in two years. We thought of undergoing a training in order to get a first hand experience in Jatropha cultivation. It wasn't easy, but it was very educational. In the morning, we were virtual farmers getting ready to sow the Jatropha seeds. By afternoon, we were botany students learning about seed germination. The process involved softening the seed coats with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution in order to speed up germination. Next day we entered the farmers' world again as we created a batch of artificial soil that the seeds were planted in. The soil was a mixture of sand, red dirt, manure, and coconut husks, designed to supply plenty of water and nutrients to the seeds after they sprout. For a couple of days, we wore the masks of plant pathologists involved in isolating fungi that grows on Jatropha seeds. We have posted a couple of pictures of the fungi that we isolated. In addition,we wore the hats of a factory laborer and extracted oil from the dried seeds. Then, we became students of chemical engineering, as we learned the process of conversion of both regular, edible vegetable oils and Jatropha oil into biodiesel on both a commercial and laboratory scale. The training was a huge deal and by the end the day, we were extremely tired, but content. We are very glad that we underwent the training and developed a new respect for the farmers. We thank Dr. Sudheer Shetty, Dr. Geetaa Singh for giving us the opportunity to undergo the training. We also would like to thank Ms. Subina Narayan and Mr. Abignan Gurukar for training us.

Thanks for Reading!
~Apoorva and Adarsha

Our New Logo!

2009-09-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Followers of the Project Jatropha blog,

Adarsha, Apoorva, and I have decided that it’s time for Project Jatropha to have our own logo (shown below). I created about 10 different logos, and we choose this one because it shows our Earth delicately wrapped by a small seedling. In addition, we decided on it because our Project Jatropha symbolizes starting with small actions and growing to affect the entire globe. After all, our goal is to start on the small scale, and with trust, collaboration, and action build and build to spread awareness and change on a larger level. So, tell us what you think!

Thanks for following,
Love,
Callie

A global call to youth by Project Jatropha Team

2009-09-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

We are asking all youth from each and every corner of the globe to take responsibility and participate in the fight against climate change by planting at least one useful seedling. Let's plant one seedling at a time. You can start at your own backyard, school, or anywhere-you pick the place. If you try to understand the magnitude of the situation, and the difference that one action can make and how that action can influence others, then you can find a place to plant even one seedling. We are asking individuals, groups, organizations, schools to join us in this venture. If you do decide to do so, please let us know by dropping an email or writing on our blog so that we can include you as a participant member in this effort. We are setting a goal to plant one million trees in 10 years. Project Jatropha has kick-started this endeavor by planting 15,000 seedlings in Kirijaji and Thippalapura, two villages in South India. Please visit our web site to see the details. To help us achieve our goal, we will contact as many local schools as possible. In addition, we are also donating useful seedlings to selected schools which need financial assistance for buying plants. Please contact us and join the fight against climate change.

The ways in which you can help:

1.Planting seedlings and letting us know

2. Donating funds (which are tax-deductible, thanks to our NPO status) to purchase seedlings

3. Volunteering to help us plant in different schools

Sincerely,
Adarsha Shivakumar

The Size and Effects of the Tobacco Industry in India

2009-09-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

Adarsha and Apoorva with Puttaswami, a Tobacco Farmer near our farm in Hunsur in 2007

Apoorva and Adarsha with Puttaswami in 2009. We are trying to convince him to grow Jatropha in his farm by intercropping with Tobacco.

Dear followers of Project Jatropha,

The tobacco industry has such a hold in southern India, it's really hard to believe the scale unless you see the area itself. To give you an idea of the scale, the plot where Jatropha and ragi( finger millet) was around 30 by 120 feet. All the eye could see for miles in each direction was fields of tobacco. The scale of the industry means that all of the environmental impacts of tobacco get magnified as well. For instance, one kilogram of tobacco requires 5 kilograms of burnable material to cure it. Around 2 of the kilograms comes from cow pies, coconut husks, etc. However, the rest of the material is firewood. Now, when one considers that several hundred pounds of tobacco can be harvested per plot, one realizes that there is a lot of firewood is consumed in order to do so. Since even one village can have many acres worth of tobacco, it becomes apparent that vast quantities of firewood must be used, which consequently has profound effects on the forest. Right now the effects of deforestation are most noticeable on the edges of the nearby forest, where the wood is most easily accessible. I am sure that as the years pass by more and more of the forest will disappear. The deforestation and burning of the wood causes several problems, including large carbon dioxide and pollutant emissions, animal-human conflicts, and a loss of biodiversity. Let's not forget the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which mandates the halving of tobacco production by 2020. The farmers are confused and they need help. We at project Jatropha are trying our best to provide alternative crops. As long as the farmers are open-minded, something will work out. We have to be optimistic.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

The startling connection between tobacco and village culture

2009-09-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

During our stay this summer, we came across many interesting stories, which we'll soon be sharing with you one by one; however, we've concluded that the one we're about to tell you is the most shocking of all. The first time we heard this, we completely ignored it, thinking that the story was a gross exaggeration, or even a fabrication. But wherever we went, this story kept coming up from various sources. We'll narrate this story as one of the villagers. However, we cannot share the name of those involved to protect the confidentiality of the source(s). In rural India, almost all marriages are arranged. It's basically the boys' choice. The process goes something like this. Whenever there is a boy or a girl of marriageable age, it's mainly the parent's responsibility. The parents send words through friends and relatives in search of a groom or bride. Once they come to know there is an eligible match, the girl's side prays that the groom should agree to marry their daughter. Most of the time they aren't worried about what their daughter has to say. In the boy's home, it is a completely different story. This will be one of their choices. They don't even think they will be rejected. It's all up to them. If the boy says yes, the marriage will take place. If they say no, the marriage will not take place. Yet, this ISN'T the shocking part. This is where tobacco comes into play. All the farmers that grow tobacco need a license by the tobacco board to construct a processing barn and sell the processed tobacco. Everyone doesn't get this license, as one must have some economic status. Recently the issue of the tobacco license is very restricted. And the owners of these licenses have a sense of pride because having a license means that they're economically decent. In Hindu culture, most traditional families see if the boy and the girl's horoscopes match. It is very vital that the priest okay's the horoscopes. If the horoscope doesn't match, the relationship has no future (according to tradition). Interestingly, we found out from many SHG Members who have marriageable kids, they have a bigger problem than the horoscope match. The first thing the groom's side people ask is if they possess a....wait for it....tobacco license. We think that gives them a sense of assurance that the girl's parents can perform the wedding and possibly give them a dowry. As tobacco is THE crop all around Hunsur Taluk area, having a tobacco license gives the bride's side a peace of mind that they are in good shape and can be confident that they can find a suitable groom. They say they can sleep well at night knowing that they have a tobacco license. We never looked at tobacco cultivation with respect until this point. We were convinced that tobacco is the cash crop that is giving peace of mind to families who have many girls to be married. Now and then, we ask ourselves this question: if we plan on removing tobacco, what will we be doing to this aspect of the culture? Is the complete removal of tobacco a proper solution? How are we going to change a culture that is so dependent on tobacco? What do we do? We hope as we grow up we will find an answer for this question.

Sincerely,
Apoorva and Adarsha

The importance of pruning cannot be emphasized enough in this title

2009-09-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Dear followers of Project Jatropha,

I feel that pruning is so important, that it merits its own blog post-which should say something. Jatropha flowers are borne on leaf axils of new growth . For this reason ,optimum new growth should be induced with aggressive pruning ,especially in the first two years . So, in order to maximize the seed yield , Labland Biotechs has taught the farmers to aggressively prune the Jatropha seedlings at specific times. Aggressive pruning entails cutting off the young blossoms and sometimes stems so that the plant branches out more, which will ultimately lead to (exponentially) more fruit being produced. This is critical, since Project Jatropha wants to maximize the economic viability of growing Jatropha; otherwise, the project will not succeed. I also feel that an example would better illustrate the multiple uses of pruning. Parivarthana decided to do an experiment of sorts with 5 of the plants from the Phase I farmers-they got permission to use them, don't worry. What they did was grow the plants using all of the agronomic practices taught at Labland Biotechs, and then prune the plants. Then, the cuttings were planted, grown using the agronomic methods taught by Labland, and rinse and repeat the process for 8 months. From the 5 original seedlings, 35 plants were obtained (including the originals). That's pretty remarkable. This example highlights the other use of pruning, which is to create more Jatropha seedlings.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

The DEED Children are Amazing!

2009-09-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Adarsha, Mr. Shrikanth, Apoorva, and the children discussing Project Jatropha

The DEED Children dancing!

Apoorva and Adarsha with the DEED Children

Dear readers of our blog,

As mentioned earlier, the Project Jatropha team visited DEED, a child labor rehabilitation, residential school. I thought of writing a bit more about our visit. This isn't an orphanage per se. However, some of the children are orphans. The rest from disturbed single parent families. Mr. Srikanth, the director of DEED, is an extraordinary human being. I have never met anybody like him in my entire life. He has dedicated his entire life to helping these unfortunate children. He along with his coworkers go deep into the Nagarahole Forest many times in a year looking for indigenous people. They are mainly honey gatherers. He brings the children of these people to their center. Though the kids have no exposure to formal schooling, they are exceptionally bright. The kids speak their own language and are very happy and lively. They are also amazing singers! We have recorded some of their songs, which We will be posting on Youtube shortly. Just by looking at the shadow of a tree, they can tell the time pretty accurately! We were really surprised. They can identify medicinal plants and their uses. We would love to share a story of a young boy, Chandra*. He was around 3 years old when he arrived at the DEED center. He always carried a knife in his hand. Whenever he saw a tree, he used to make a specific symbol using the knife. He was a very silent child. Within three years, he has learned three languages (English, Hindi, and Kannada), math, and science. Mr. Srikanth predicts he will become a very famous individual because of his extraordinary intelligence. We agree! Now Chandra is attending formal schooling, where he is acing all the subjects, even beyond two grade levels. Who knows how many more Chandras are wandering in the forest waiting to be rescued, so that they can have a real chance at attaining their maximum potential?

*Name has been changed to protect his identity

Sincerely,
Apoorva

A sciency look into the future

2009-08-31T19:12:00.001-07:00

Dear followers of Project Jatropha,

Jatropha curcas is a remarkable plant that has great potential for biofuel production and will almost certainly be a power player in said industry for some time to come. However, there are other pioneering biofuel technologies that are proving to have great potential: namely cellulosic and algal biofuel technologies. Both technologies have the capacity to produce very large quantities of biofuel, far in excess of what Jatropha or any other first-generation biofuel plant could make; both technologies could theoretically replace a good fraction of the fuel needs of America, as detailed in a recent Scientific American article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=grassoline-biofuels-beyond-corn#comments. However, such technologies are still at least 10-15 years away due to economic and logistical issues that must be overcome in order to make these sources of biofuel competitive. In addition, it will take some time for those technologies to be perfected so that small, uneducated farmers could afford and operate them. Project Jatropha, on the other hand, is easy to understand among small farmers, and, from a financial perspective, relatively cheap. Regardless, there is a high probability that cellulosic and algal biofuel technologies will be a part of the myriad of ways to mitigate climate change. Until then though, Jatropha curcas and other biofuels such as switchgrass can act as very effective bridge biofuels that can at least partially supply the fuel needs of society.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

A Unique Experience at the Project Site

2009-08-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers of our Blog,

I want to share a very interesting story that happened during my visit to the Kirijaji village in the early weeks of my visit. Mosquitoes are one of the BIGGEST problems i faced. If I remember correctly, during the first week of my visit, there was no rain. The land was dry and it was scorching hot, but the good news was there weren't any mosquitoes. After the first week it started raining cats and dogs! Most of the time I was completely wet and I did try using an umbrella, but the second day it gave up on me. My umbrella was swept away by the harsh winds and got stuck in a Banyan tree! The village kids found it very funny, but soon came to my rescue. They asked me if I needed their help to get the umbrella out of the tree. Honestly, I didn't they could help, considering the oldest one was 8. From that day forward, I said goodbye to my umbrella and started wearing my raincoat. Now coming to the point, with the rainfall came the mosquitoes. I had taken all kinds of inspect repellents used for camping. Trust me they are no match for the mosquitoes of Kirijaji! In two days, I looked like as though I had chicken pox. My mosquito bites were itchy, but painful as well. I tried several oral antihistamines and topical creams. Nothing helped! One of senior SHG members', Padmama, a sweet lady came to my rescue. She suggested that I apply the extract of one of the local herbal plants. I looked at her face with disbelief. I was thinking in my mind, how can this leaf heal my mosquito bite wounds, when the powerful, expensive medicated creams given by my doctor didn't do the job. She showed me how to use the leaves, but the method didn't appeal to me. I refused the first day, but my rashes kept on increasing as the mosquitoes bit me more and more. By the third day, I was desperate to try anything. Padmama was patient enough to tend to my rashes. She patiently took the extract and applied it to my bites. She also showed me another plant that which can act as a mosquito repellant. Within two hours, I couldn't believe my own eyes. My rashes had reduced considerably and the mosquitoes didn't bother me at all! No more new bites! If I had the authority, I would have given Padmama a doctorate degree! I don't know the botanical name of the plant. I was just happy my bites were gone! I wish Adarsha was there with me at that time to do a scientific analysis of the plant. Well, there's always next time! :)

~Apoorva

The Overarching Goal of Project Jatropha

2009-08-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Dear followers of Project Jatropha,

As you all know, Project Jatropha is an undertaking that aims to aid poor farmers in the Hunsur Taluk region and alleviate rural poverty and environmental destruction. But it can be said that the real, overarching goal of the project is to provide an example to other members of my generation who think about taking initiatives in their communities. There are individuals out there who undoubtedly have incredible humanitarian or environmentally geared ideas, but who are not sure whether or not to actually take action. Yet, in such a time, when a perfect storm of crises (including, but not limited to the fresh water crisis, peak oil, climate change, poverty, resource depletion, massive amounts of environmental destruction, and overpopulation), there can, and must not be a shortage of good ideas and young people who will take the lead in building the infrastructure of a new, more stable, cleaner, and better earth for us and future generations. We must fix the problems that have accumulated due to the actions of previous generations, but in doing so must also create a better world for future generations. There is no second chance now, because the fate of the world, and all of its inhabitants, be they animal, plant, or human, rests within the hands of this generation. The cost of failure is extinction, but the price of winning is a better world for all, including the future generations. We owe it to them to give them an earth that is more harmonious, instead of a barren, tainted wasteland that we are so close to creating as I speak. Er, type. Actually, post, but you get the point.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Project Jatropha is Branching Out!

2009-08-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

This is Callie Roberts, Finance & Fundraising Coordinator, and leader of Project Jatropha's Branching Out Movement. We want to spread awareness and knowledge about more humanitarian causes, as continue to pursue our original goals of helping the environment, as well as the impoverished! While Adarsha and Apoorva were visiting Southern India, this summer, I stayed here in California and started collecting shoes, especially flip flops. Throughout the summer, I collected 2 crates of both new and used shoes and flip flops from my swim club, which I will give to The Flip Flop Fleet, which distributes the shoes to children in Haiti, so their parents don’t have to choose between feeding their children and getting them shoes.

Along with shoes, I have collected about 8 large bags of clothing, which will also be donated to the children in Haiti.

Lastly, through out the summer, I have gathered children’s French books, for Sirona Fuels’s literacy project in Grand Goave, Haiti, which will eventually go in a new library that will be built at the Mission of Hope School. (Exciting Newsflash: Michelle Lacourciere of Sirona Cares has just begun to get the new school and library set up!) In addition, I earned $250 from teaching swim lessons this summer, which I will use to acquire new children’s French books.

It is our goal to continue collecting flip-flops, French children’s books, and clothing throughout the school year to be delivered to India and Haiti next summer. I have also been collecting reading books and workbooks for elementary children for distribution in local areas where there is also a need. I have collected over 300 books and workbooks over the past year.

Project Jatropha has plans to spread news about our project and the issues we are working on with local schools and businesses in hopes of generating more support. We are continuing our Project Jatropha website and this blog, so please leave comments or suggestions! Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for following our blog. We hope that we have inspired you to take action, too. In the end, our goal is to spread awareness about action that needs to be taken, and hopefully take several positive leaps toward tackling the problems.

Much Love,
Callie

Some Pictures:
Callie with some of the clothing she collected this summer!

Callie with one of the crates of flip flops and other shoes! Sincere thanks to my swim team for their generosity!

Callie with 2 boxes of French children's books!

The Pictures of Tobacco Intercropping in the Project Site

2009-08-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Alex,

Adarsha wanted me to post this picture in order to give you an idea of how tobacco intercropping looks like. I hope this helps!

~Apoorva

An important point on Jatropha and its cultivation

2009-08-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

The first picture depicts a rain fed crop with no fertilizer on a normal soil.
Picture 2 shows the plants with moderate irrigation and application of fertilizer.
http://emmanuelwrites.blogspot.com/2009/07/another-major-jatropha-project-suffers.html

NOTE: The original article may not be accessible anymore-I keep getting an authorization error everytime I try with Firefox though I'm using a proxy.

This article, as implied in the url, talks about the failure of a Jatropha project due to lack of investors, but emphasizes another aspect of Jatropha that is ESSENTIAL to the whole issue. Jatropha curcas CAN grow in wasteland or marginal lands-however, it will NOT grow enough or produce enough fruit to be ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. Like any other cash crop, Jatropha needs to have inputs-fertilizer, water (these two mainly in the first 2-3 years of the plants life, where it is still in the important growth phase) and maintenance. Farmers cannot expect to get something from no input. I cannot stress this enough (hence the use of capitalization at strategic points)-although Jatropha can grow on poor soils, it needs care like any other crop in order to achieve its full potential. Rest assured, Project Jatropha is having the farmers plant the high-quality seedlings on rain-fed, decent soils and has also provided the farmers with agronomic training to enable them to maximize the seed output of the plants given. It is imperative that wherever Jatropha projects are undertaken, especially in coordination with small farmers, that an emphasis is placed on the need to cultivate the plant if one wants to produce an economically viable quantity of seeds.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Our Sincere Thanks to Michelle Lacourciere, Director of Sirona Cares for the Successful Collaboration Between Flip Flop Fleet and Project Jatropha

2009-08-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

Flip Flop Fleet is an organization that collects and distributes flip flops, sandals, and other footwear to those in need all over the world, so no parent has to choose between feeding their children or buying them shoes. Michele of Sirona Cares introduced us to Dawn and Lee, the founders of Flip Flop Fleet. The two are amazing people who are involved in extraordinary activities to help the unfortunate. For more info visit there blog: http://www.flipflopfleet.blogspot.com/. They donated 70 pairs of flip flops and sandals. We carried them to a child labor rehabilitation residential school, called DEED, which stands for Development through Education. None of the children here had footwear. These children are used to walking around barefooted on a rough terrain. Despite that, they were eager to receive the generous gift and promised to take good care of the footwear. Thanks again to Dawn, Lee, and Michele for bringing joy into these kids' lives.

Sincerely,
Adarsha, Apoorva, and Callie

Project Jatropha Team Wins Action For Nature International Young Eco-Hero Award 2009

2009-08-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hot off the Press!
AFN announces its 2009 INTERNATIONAL
YOUNG ECO-HERO AWARDS!

"With great pleasure Action For Nature announces its 2009 International Young Eco-Hero Awards, which recognize young people 8 to 16 years of age for their environmental achievements. We hope the accomplishments of these outstanding young people will inspire many others to preserve and protect the Earth upon which all life depends. The winners of AFN's International Young Eco-Hero Awards program receive a cash prize and a special certificate, as well as public recognition on our website and elsewhere.Our judges are experts in environmental science, biology and environmental health. They select our Young Eco-Heroes from applicants from around the world. They are looking for young people to follow in their footsteps.We are proud of the 2009 winners, and of all the applicants from around the world."

Adarsha and I want to thank the Action for Nature Organization, Beryl Kay, and Hoi Y. Poon for their support. We are using the cash prize towards the expansion of Project Jatropha!

~Apoorva

Project Jatropha team returns to CA after successful completion of planting more than 11,000 new Jatropha seedlings in Kirijaji and Thippalapura

2009-08-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

Adarsha and I landed in San Francisco airport by 10:35 AM today. We're safe but terribly jet lagged. We are very happy and content with our work in India. We had a busy schedule. It was not easy but we did it. Though Adarsha had assured the blog followers that we would update our blog every day while we were at the project site, that was impossible. Forget about internet, the basic electricity was very scarce in the villages due to heavy rains. It was pouring heavily almost every single day. That did not stop the farmers from working. We all drenched in rain every day and it was actually pretty fun!!! We have exciting incidents to be reported. We will do so once we settle in. We've updated the blog with new pictures

~Apoorva

Project Jatropha in a Labland Biotechs Program

2009-08-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

Dear followers of Project Jatropha,

Apoorva and I are currently in a program in Labland Biotechs where we are learning the various agronomic practices of Jatropha cultivation and the details of the extraction and conversion of Jatropha oil into biodiesel. Currently, it is day 3 of our course. On the first day, we learned about the selection criterion that is used to determine the seeds that Labland Biotechs germinates in order to sell as seedlings. The process involved softening the seed coats with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution in order to speed up germination. In addition, Apoorva and I created a batch of artificial soil that the seeds were planted in. The soil was a mixture of sand, red dirt, manure, and coconut husks, designed to supply plenty of water and nutrients to the seeds after they sprout. Yesterday and today, Apoorva and I will be converting both regular, edible vegetable oils and Jatropha oil into biodiesel on both a commercial and laboratory scale. While both processes are similar, the conversion of Jatropha oil is more complex since it is inedible. The Jatropha biodiesel that Apoorva and I are making will be given to us so we can run it in our vehicles. Labland Biotechs has been running a Chevy Tavera on a 10% Jatropha biofuel blend for a year; the biodiesel blend gets on average 4-5 more kilometers per liter than straight diesel. In addition, Labland Biotechs plans to increase the amount of biodiesel in the blend yearly by 10% and see the effects of the biodiesel on the engine and the vehicle's performance.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

An update and analysis of the project site

2009-08-07T01:00:00.001-07:00

Dear followers of Project Jatropha,

I am pleased to report that the seedlings from the Phase I farmers are growing very well. The farmers have been growing the seedlings as a hedge crop, in bunds (which are small plots), on wasteland, or with tobacco (intercropping). We also noted that the plants that had been irrigated were significantly larger than those that had just been rain-fed. In fact, the tallest irrigated plants were around 4 feet tall and were bearing several clumps of fruit whereas the tallest rain-fed plants were only 2-3 feet tall and had no flowers, let alone fruits. In addition, the plants that had been fertilized with manure were larger than those that had not been fertilized. Both of these cases illustrate that although Jatropha curcas can survive and grow in harsh conditions without irrigation and fertilizers, the use of both cultivation methods greatly increases the plant's growth. Mr. Abignan Gurukar, a Research Officer at Labland Biotechs, told us that a good supply of water is essential for the first year of the seedlings' lives if the farmers wish to maximize the plants' producitivity. For Jatropha curcas to be grown by these small farmers on an economically viable scale, it is necessary to cultivate the plants, especially in the beginning of their lives when they need the most care. Only then can Project Jatropha truly be able to offer poverty alleviation for the farmers in our project.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

The Farmers' Prayers are Finally Answered!

2009-07-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

The roads of Thippalapura and Kirijaji are wet and slippery. I walk very carefully on the muddy roads to reach the project site. I wish I could share all of the interesting stories that are happening. But due to heavy rains, I can hardly access the internet. Today I have come to a nearby town which has one small internet café just to update the blog. It’s pouring outside and can hardly see anything. However, I can hear children shouting, singing, and playing in the rain. I wish Adarsha and Callie were here with me to witness this joyous moment. To tell you honestly, I have spent hours playing with kids in the rain. However, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t worked on the project. We have come a long way from the past two weeks. Before I arrived, the farmers had planted around 6,000 seedlings. Lack of rain had prevented them from planting the rest. It looks like I brought some luck with me! Ever since I arrived at the project site, it has been pouring. We have planted 4,000 more seedlings in the past two weeks! There’s a big line behind me waiting to access the internet. I better go now!

~Apoorva

Project Jatropha announces the creation of Project Teak

2009-06-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

The Project Jatropha team would like to introduce a new sister project, Project Teak, which will work in conjunction with Project Jatropha to help alleviate rural poverty in Southern India. Teak trees, which are tropical hardwood trees, are famous and valued for their weather resistance, and are subsequently used in outdoor furniture. In India, teak wood is used in door and window frames, the aforementioned furniture, and columns and beams, due to its durability. The trees take 20-25 years to fully mature, but are then worth large amounts of money.In addition to teak trees, Project Teak is also distributing silver oak trees, which are also used in furniture. Much like teak trees, silver oaks take many years to mature, but are worth large amounts of money in the end.Project Teak works with Project Jatropha by providing a large future source of revenue for farmers compared to the (relative to Project Teak) more immediate and short term economic benefits of Jatropha curcas. Already, Project Jatropha has distributed 1000 teak seedlings and 1000 silver oak seedlings to the 5 farmers of Phase I and several farmers in Phase II as a goodwill gesture and as a way to encourage participation.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Mixed news from the project site

2009-06-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

As evidenced by the title, Project Jatropha is bringing good and bad news from our project site in India.
The good news: The premonsoon rainfall occurred for a day and during that time, the enthusiastic farmers managed to plant 5000 seedlings.
The bad news: The one day of premonsoon rainfall has been followed by an extended period of time with no rain whatsoever. This is a rare occurrence, and monsoon rainfalls have been delayed significantly (they were supposed to have already started). Ironically enough, the latter is due to climate change, which wreaks havoc on delicate weather systems such as monsoons. Although the Jatropha plants are very hardy, lack of water will hurt other crops that the farmers grow. This problem applies to any farmer, especially subsistence farmers, who depend on yearly weather patterns at certain times to grow crops. The problems created by climate change affect even those who contribute nothing to it.
To end on a more optimistic note, the farmers are very eager for the monsoon rainfalls to arrive as they want to plant the remaining Jatropha seedlings from Phase II as soon as possible. We're sure that the monsoon rains will occur, but the time and duration of the rains are uncertain. The farmers can only cross their fingers and pray for the monsoon rains.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

Project Jatropha Team Wins 2009 Teen for Planet Earth Gold Service Award

2009-06-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Teens for Planet Earth is a social networking site for teens who want to protect our planet. it was developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society's Education Division. It also provides technical support for teens and adult advisors around the world who develop and implement environmental service-learning projects. Each year, Teens for Planet Earth recognize teens across the globe for service-learning projects that demonstrate their commitment to the environment. The teams whose projects are deemed to be of exceptional quality are given awards at three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

We are one of the proud recipients of the 2009 Gold Service Award. We are using the cash prize towards the expansion of Project Jatropha. We want to thank Jeanine Silversmith and Judith Unis for their continuing support and advice & the Wildlife Conservation Society for the cash award.

Sincerely,
Adarsha
Apoorva
Callie

Project Jatropha on Oprah's Angel Network

2009-06-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

Oprah's Angel Network works around the globe to give people the chance to live their best lives. It was established to encourage people around the world to make a difference in the lives of others. Oprah's vision is to inspire people to help others rise to their potential. We are very proud to announce that Project Jatropha's work is featured under the community page of the web site.

Please visit this site to view the posting:
http://oprahsangelnetwork.org/stories/656-seeds-of-change

An incredibly important update by Project Jatropha

2009-06-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Dear subscribers, viewers, and fans of Project Jatropha,
We bring you good news-with the pre-monsoon rainfalls having occurred, the first 7000 seedlings of Phase II have been planted successfully. The other 5000 seedlings of Phase II will be planted this summer when the first monsoon rainfall occurs-and that time, Apoorva and I will be there to supervise the whole process and check in on the progress of 5000 plants planted for Phase II and the 1000 plants from Phase I as well.
I'd also like to apologize for the lack of blog posts during the first few months of the blog. I could not update the status of Project Jatropha due to time constraints created by all of my schoolwork, since I do this project independently of any school work. However, when Apoorva and I go to India, we will give updates every other day on the progress of our project. When the school year starts up, our updates will reduce to around once a week.

Sincerely,
Adarsha

2009-06-15T20:25:00.000-07:00