Voice 1
Hello, I’m Ruby Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
What kind of transport do you use the most - bus? Train? Car, maybe? Do you ever wonder how much fuel these vehicles need to move around? Almost all of them use mineral oil. Mineral oil comes from under the ground. Today, there are more people on the earth than ever before. More people means more transport and more transport will use more oil. So how long will it take for our current sources of oil to dry up? Energy experts tell us that mineral oil supplies cannot last for as long many people think. What can people do to improve this situation? Do they need to discover different kinds of energy? One small island in the South Pacific has found the answer to its fuel problems - a hard, brown hairy fruit - the coconut!
Voice 2
The coconut tree grows in hot, tropical areas of the world. It is usually very tall. The leaves and fruit grow right at the top of the tree. It can be a difficult job to collect the fruit! But it is worth it. Coconuts are very useful. The hard, white part of the fruit is called copra. Copra is full of healthy substances. It is also rich in vegetable oil. And coconut milk contains a lot of sugar and vitamins - substances that help the body to work better.
Voice 1
But the people of Bougainville Island in the South Pacific have found another purpose for the coconut. They now use coconut oil as fuel for their vehicles. And they use the oil for their generators - the machines that produce their electricity. People on the island agree that this kind of fuel is cheaper. And it is kinder to the environment. So how did the idea of using coconut oil in this way first appear?
Voice 2
Bougainville is part of the island state Papua New Guinea. For years the people of Bougainville wanted to have their own government. But the authorities in Papua New Guinea did not agree. One reason for this was that there was a large copper mine on Bougainville Island. It made a lot of money for the Papua New Guinea government. They did not want to lose control over it. Relations got worse between the Papua New Guinea government and the Bougainville citizens wanting independence. Finally, in the 1990s, war broke out.
Voice 1
During the conflict, transporting materials by sea was often very difficult. Ships carrying necessary goods could not reach the island. So, people had to manage with less food and a reduced fuel supply. This made them think of different ways to operate their vehicles and machines. It was then that someone had the idea of using coconut oil as a fuel. People discovered that their vehicles and machines worked just as well with this new fuel.
Voice 2
Coconut oil is a vegetable oil. Vegetable oils come from plants growing today, but mineral oil comes from resources under the ground. Coconut oil is a biofuel - a biological substance that produces heat and power when it burns. Biofuels need some special treatment before people can use them. In Bougainville, there are a number of small refineries. These factories have equipment that refines the oil - the equipment removes all the impure elements from the oil. The more pure the oil is, the better it will burn.
Voice 1
Once pure, most oils are then ready to go into a fuel tank. But coconut oil is different. It is thicker than other fuels. It turns into a solid at a much higher temperature - about twenty-five [25] degrees centigrade. In some places this could be a problem on a cold day! The oil would no longer be in liquid form. And the engine could not start. Often, the engines that will use the oil need small changes. For example, engineers may add a small fuel heater. This heater keeps the coconut oil at the right temperature for use.
Voice 2
However, this is only a small problem. Using coconut oil as fuel has more good than bad points. It is a clean fuel. It does not pollute the atmosphere. In fact, it does just the opposite - it produces a very sweet smell! Also, it is less costly to produce than other kinds of fuel - especially diesel and petrol. One reason for this is that it is a sustainable resource. New coconuts continue to grow year after year. So in theory, the fuel supply should never dry up.
Voice 1
Another good point is that people in some far away places have coconut trees right there. So, they are in a position to produce biofuels locally. This means that they no longer have to depend on imported fuel. This is very helpful when it is difficult to receive goods from another place.
Voice 2
One coconut oil producer is Matthias Horn. Matthias is from Germany. But he has lived in Bougainville for many years. His company makes a number of products that use coconut oil. So what does Matthias think about using coconut oil as a biofuel?
Voice 3
“People ask, ‘How can you do that to your car?’ ... You are filling it with some coconut liquid that you normally cook your fish in... But it is good. You fuel your car with something that falls off a tree. And that is the good thing about it. You use your car and it smells nice. And it is environmentally friendly. And that is the main thing.”
Voice 1
More and more people around the world are beginning to share Matthias Horn’s opinion. The environment does need more protection. And businesses are looking for different ways to power their machines and vehicles. For example, companies from Europe and Iran have expressed an interest. They want to know more about Bougainville’s coconut power.
Voice 2
This growing interest in biofuels is not only helpful to the environment. Matthias Horn and his wife Carol believe that this industry can help provide jobs and training - especially for local young people. This is a very welcome development for this part of Asia. South Pacific islands like Bougainville have real problems with lack of jobs and poverty. Any new industry that makes the economy stronger can only be good news.
Voice 1
So, do biofuels have a future? Well, it may take a long time for industrial nations to start using biofuels in large amounts. But the people of Bougainville are setting a good example. They know that the earth’s resources are valuable. And they want to do what they can to keep them for as long as possible.
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