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Emerald Isle is getting greener Ireland could transform
its environmental record in 10 years by reaping its most plentiful crop
grass.
A collection of work from University College Cork’s Environmental
Research Institute has unveiled the potential of green fuels.
It includes powering the Cork City bus fleet from local rubbish, running
the country’s trains with animal slurry and producing 15 per cent
of Ireland’s electricity by harvesting a single crop.
The Institute’s principal researcher in bio-mass Dr Jerry Murphy
said a decisive stance would dramatically reduce the country’s oil
dependency.
And he revealed grass was one of the most lucrative options for production
of bio-fuels and bio-gas which are used in Europe to power cars
and generate heat and electricity.
“Grass is a fabulous crop,” he said. “For a start
it can be harvested every year and we get so much more silage per hectare
than any other crop.”
“And we have an awful lot of grass, we don’t have to plough
the land and unlike other crops grass is actually CO2 negative.”
Another alternative is willow which needs more preparation but will grow
in the boggy midlands.
“There is a lot of work in drying willow but the good thing is that
it grows in wet areas. It likes water so it is suited to a lot more areas
of Ireland,” said Dr Murphy.
He argued the various crops could produce either ethanol, bio-diesel or
bio-gas but policymakers needed to decide the preferred option so there
was a strategic understanding from farmers through to car-buyers.
Dr Murphy said indecisiveness and a lack of leadership had left Ireland
lagging behind.
He said a practical step would be to require builders to provide district
hot water plants with housing estates. |
