Sometimes internet users might not be aware of what words like “sustainable” really mean and it is always a good idea to look into the definitions. Some say that the word sustainable implies that something can be maintained at a certain rate or level. This word is very popular in alternative energy circles because some people are concerned about how long we can “sustain” traditional energy resources like oil and gas.
Some speaking from an agricultural standpoint might take the stance in relation to an ecological balance i.e. conserving an ecological balance by avoiding the depletion of natural resources.
Whatever definition is being given there are people who agree that we should be planning for future generations and ensuring that natural resources are used wisely. This involves some intelligence, planning and investment in scientific research. Human resources are also part of the plan. Inspiring individuals to excel and Improving education and awareness is also considered by many to be a wise move forward. The following media presentation gives us an insight into the background of the Palm Oil Industry in Malaysia and how we can assure a sustainable supply of oils and fats into the future. It is well worth watching as well as visiting a very informative Palm Oil Business Website called http://www.ceopalmoil.com/
The oil palm actually originates from West Africa and was brought to Malaysia over 100 years ago by the British and was only being used as an ornamental plant and was only in 1917 that it was commercially planted in the State of Selangor in Malaysia. What might be interesting to know about Malaysia in 2011 is that Palm Plantations only take up just over 14% of the total land area. These figures have been given by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. What is amazing about the Palm oil fruit bunches is that they are elevated above ground i.e. they do not take up a large ground surface area and it is possible to have between 1000 to 3000 fruits per bunch weighing about 15-25 kilograms. It is a known fact that Oil Palm growing is extremely productive compared with other crops and is able to yield much more than your average crop per unit area. These facts most definitely qualify the Oil Palm for discussions on sustainability.
There is a difference between Mesocarp Palm Oil (PO) and Palm Kernel Oil (PKO) which some unfamiliar with the Palm Oil Industry might not be aware of. It is the orangy outer part that is where we get CPO (Crude Palm Oil ) and the whitish part that gives us Palm Kernel Oil. There is a large volume of oil in Palm Oil Fruit. If 5kg of oil can be obtained from a fruit bunch of oil weighing 25kg, then we can easily conclude that there is about 20% oil volume in these fruits and might help us to understand just how productive the oil palm is.
When considering the Palm Oil Tree and it’s fruit we know that the fruit only takes up about ten percent of the total biomass and when Oil Palm is processed we have the rough solid fibrous materials, but even these are a productive part of the crop because they can be used in timber and furniture products as well as a potential source of energy to make electricity. Since the Biomass produced by the other parts is about ten times more than the oil part we could consider that finding new and productive ways to utilize it make the Palm products even more interesting. This means there is a huge potential for the development of Biomass Energy.
Alternative sources of energy are important for geographical locations in the world which might be depending on imported fuel or energy. Having a stable but renewable local resource of energy is definitely going to be beneficial for future generations of energy consumers.
