Biofuels |
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Kigali , in the early 1980s but it was never developed into a commercial operation , possibly because not enough effort was made to develop a market for the briquettes . More recently innovation in producing charcoal briquettes from papyrus has been developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology . This is a low-tech option which could prove to be more effective , particularly in rural areas .
But is using papyrus as a source of biofuel sustainable ?
Ensuring sustainability
An integrated approach to the use of wetlands is crucial . This requires assessing the impact of papyrus production and harvesting on a range of other “ ecosystem services ” such as flood control , as carbon sinks and water purification .
A few studies have been done looking at how papyrus wetlands can benefit local communities . But even this limited research suggests they have great benefits . For example research near Lake Naivasha in Kenya and Lake Victoria has identified 27 subsets of benefits derived from papyrus wetlands .
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We are currently working on a system that guides local , non-specialist through ways of identifying which ecosystem services may be important at a site , and evaluating the benefits from them . Our approach also involves engaging everyone who has an interest in the wetlands so that a site-specific approach to sustainable wetland management that benefits all sectors can be developed . This is important because there are often differences of opinion about priorities . This is particularly the case where papyrus wetlands are being converted to agricultural use . For example , surveys in an area in Eastern Uganda found that people were at loggerheads with the government . Their concern was water and land use conflicts while local and national governments are more concerned about agricultural encroachment and biodiversity loss .
In a world seeking solutions to its energy , environmental , and food challenges , society cannot afford to overlook the use of such productive plants as a source of fuel . But society also cannot accept the undesirable impact of biofuel production that isn ’ t managed sustainably .
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News from Mottech USA Mottech Water Solutions recently welcomed David Peters as the national business development manager for Mottech USA . David will be responsible for developing new business opportunities and creating customized solutions to meet customer needs .
David is a Licensed Irrigator in the State of Texas and has been actively involved in the irrigation industry for 31 years working in contracting , distribution , and Specification Sales for a major irrigation manufacturer .
During that time David worked on landscape & agricultural irrigation ,
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weather & soil moisture monitoring systems and water distribution projects . David has over 20 years of experience working in sales and technical support of Motorola Irrigation Control Systems .
Mottech is a member of the MTI Group , and is the worldwide master distributor of Motorola ’ s innovative , proven and reliable IRRInet platform . Mottech provides comprehensive , professional irrigation and water control management systems for Agricultural Irrigation , Municipal Turf & Landscape Irrigation , and Water Distribution applications .
“ We welcome David Peters to the Mottech Water Solutions team supporting all of us including our channel partners to develop new business opportunities and to enhance customer service and customer satisfaction in our market ,” said Mottech .
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More needs to be done to assess the ecosystem services that inform local decision making . But this often involves technically demanding and expensive field work . |
Michael Jones is Professor Department of Botany , School of Natural Sciences : Trinity College Dublin . Matthew Saunders is Assistant Professor in Plant Science , Trinity College Dublin |