Soybeans in the sky
Posted Monday, January 14, 2008, 7:20 PM by Lonely Planet
Every kid knows beans give you gas. The gag's been around forever, yet now flying, not flatulence might be its ultimate result.
Much has been made of the new and far more environmentally friendly 'space race' with Virgin and Air New Zealand vying for the first bio-fuelled flight.
Already you can bicycle around Vietnam, ride an electric scooter in Italy, flag down a Tuk-Tuk with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine in Thailand (far more fuel efficient than its two-stroke forebear), try horseback in Egypt or, hoof it by foot in the Himalaya; travel's not all bad. But flights remain the bogey of the industry; an enormous contributor to carbon emissions, pressure is on to clean up the skies.
Soybeans, algae, rapeseed and palm oil have all been cited as potential sources for bio-fuel in the future, but as they require harvesting on a grand scale, debate is alive whether its production is any more energy efficient. 
Researchers, eccentrics and hobbyists have tried for years to develop a suitable concoction from recycled oils, animal and vegetable fats, but their side-effects are often caustic. Given we won't be refuelling at the chippy any time soon, guilt-free flying still seems some way off.
In the mean-time there are some measures that are worth investigating. For more information see our section on Sustainable and Responsible travel. Or if you've got some good suggestions, post them here.
Labels: Breaking travel news, Sustainable and responsible tourism, Travelsnitch
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4 Comments:
The people of Bougainville have found their own solution to the energy crisis - they use coconut power!
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/05/14/coconut-oil-powers-vehicle-generators-in-bougainville-papua-ne/
Travelling has always been a pleasure element for human being and everyone loves to go places which he or she has never been to. I also want to do so but, can't roam around the world in just one life so i invented eproducts.co.in which is my site and lets me travel around the world.
Does anyone know anything about the Chinese conspiracy to ruin the soybean market? Reportedly, Minister Wei has internally ordered that many buy contracts be unfulfilled. The idea is to publically state that they will release edible oil reserves and then buy heavy on beans when the price drops while failing to honor earlier contracts at real-market pricing. Being such a big player, they do have the ability to manipulate the market. Who is going to control this massive corrupt giant? How can we keep them from (or minimize) controlling the market to the disadvantage of suppliers? Is it possible that the global market takes a stance against them, or do we simply have to suffer their dishonesty in sight of their buying ability and the need to move product?
It great about the idea on going Bio-Fuelled. Beating the multiple issues of hiked prices and never to be left behind Global Warming.
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