During the last year, the high petrol price has stimulated the production of biofuels from alternative sources (biomass). For effect of the crescent corn demand (used to produce bio ethanol) on the part of the North-American market, the price of this cereal increases, breaking up any record. The main producers, United States, China, Argentine, Mexico, Brazil, and in general the whole Latin American region, go on consequently to increase the production and the extension of agricultural territory. In this scenery, the cultivation of transgenic maize becomes more than a temptation, rising a question: is it ethical to transfer the production of a basic element in the diet of millions of people towards the tanks of our cars? Ecuador represents an emblematic example of this contradiction: in the Amazonian river basin the extraction of oil and in the Western region the crescent maize production, while many people continue to face the challenge against starvation. As we don’t like to talk about problems that seem far from the possibilities of any single person, at least without giving a little hope, we flag some Ecuadorian associations that operate in the field of human rights, rural communities and ecology; maybe someone would be interested in activities of cooperation/volunteering in Equador: Sinchi Sacha, Ecuador volunteer, Fundacion Brethen y Unida, Jatun Sacha, and many others we didn’t contact directly (mainly aiming at supporting rights of the indigenous communities of the Amazonian rainforest).

• Towards Ecuador, goodbye Colombia
• Tena, a look to the Amazon
• Last shamans of the Amazon
• In Quito
• From Coca to Iquitos

The European production of biodiesel has been a 65% greater than during 2004. Also the production of bioethanol is growing, above all in America, where USA and Brazil are the main producers. With 15 billions of bioethanol liters produced in 2005, USA cover a 2.7% of their total fuel consumption. The high price of oil helps the production of bioethanol in countries as Brazil, where a long experience permitted to develop reliable methods to produce biofuels at lower prices in comparison with oil derivatives.

Germany represents the 50% of the whole production of world biodiesel, the 35% of photovoltaic energy and the 30% of wind energy. The direction is given, some doubts remain over the effective sustainability of this model.

• Biofuels in small steps
• Energetic future in the Alps
• Concentrator photovoltaic cells
• BEPINET project: renewables in Latin america
• Zacatecas

Undoubtedly the substitution of the benzine with products of biological origin as bioethanol would resolve the problem of the emissions of CO2, as they would be balanced during the growth of the plants themselves. But how many hectares of cultivations (sugar cane, beet, etc) will have to be used in order to produce bio-ethanol in such amount to replace partially the fuel produced from oil? How many hectares of amazonian forest will have to be destroyed in order to make space to the extensive cultivations of soy and sugar cane? Perhaps the study of the Finnish institute moves in the right direction indicating as possible source of biomass the agricultural residuals (woods and cellulose): in this case the raw materials availability would be increased, but the fermentation processes taking to biofuel synthesis are more complex. Any small step is welcome! Coming up some links for bioengineering notes and My Curriculum Vitae.

• Renewable energy and oil price
• Energetic future in the Alps
• Concentrator photovoltaic cells
• BEPINET project: renewables in Latin america
• Zacatecas