ana123
Registered: December 2010
City/Town/Province: Burbank
Posts: 1
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In November of 2009, nine girls and I and two project leaders became involved in a humanitarian project: Operation Haiti. Our goal was to build a solar-powered biodiesel processor to ship to a school in Pichon, Haiti.
Faced with many ecological problems, Haiti needs our help. Most of Haiti has been ravaged by deforestation, because wood is Haiti’s main source of fuel, especially in rural areas. Deforestation, in turn, causes soil erosion, making a serious problem larger. Soil in Haiti is left stripped of its trees—unprotected and vulnerable to being washed away. However, Jatropha, a local shrub, may prove to be Haiti’s remedy. This shrub yields many seeds that can be crushed to provide “seed oil”. This oil can then be converted into biodiesel using our solar-powered biodiesel processor. After biodiesel is processed from the Jatropha seeds, glycerin remains as a by-product. In turn, the glycerin can be used as fertilizer to rejuvenate the soil. In the long run, our project has the potential to turn Haiti’s ecological statistics around.
The biodiesel itself can be used for many different purposes. It can be used to run any vehicle with a diesel engine (such as tractors and cars), it can be used for cooking, and it can be used as kerosene in lamps. The biodiesel will replace any need for wood, and will hopefully put an end to the destructive deforestation. If the Haitians cannot find their own use for the biodiesel they can sell it as a commodity to other towns or even countries! The system they'll be receiving can produce about 45 gallons every few days.
Besides bettering Haiti’s ecology, our project will have a huge impact on the lifestyles of Haitians. Because our processor runs on solar power, excess solar energy can illuminate students attending the local school in Pichon. Literally. This school has no access to electricity, and the excess energy from the solar panels may provide electricity for their school and even offer them the opportunity to learn with computers. The fruits of our efforts may even vitalize Haiti’s economy by creating a new biodiesel market. By simply educating the people in Haiti about harnessing the power of their native plants, and providing the means to start processing biodiesel, we can start a domino effect of progress for Haitians.
I must say that it is a privilege to be working on a project having so much potential to help both the ecology and the way of life of people in another country. Helping the world and it’s people can be very simple and stem from a simple idea.
Today, our completed processor is waiting to be passed through Haitian customs. While I don’t know how long it will be there, I know that we as a society cannot afford to wait to bring about ecologic change. With good ideas, the present world, filled with pollution, can be turned into a better, cleaner world that experiences progress.
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