How Green is Aston Lloyd's New Jatropha Project?
Online, April 23, 2010 (Newswire.com) - It has been calculated by jatropha experts that a one hectare investment in Aston Lloyd's plantation, over 10 years, will reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by the equivalent of... 10,000 miles flown in an airplane, 9,500 miles driven in a medium sized car, or 53,000 hours of running a computer.
Offering investor's income from the jatropha grown on the land, Aston Lloyd believe they have released a project which is sustainable, ethical, and profitable. Jatropha is now seen as a biofuel plant with the most potential to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels. It has a number of benefits compared with traditional biofuels such as corn or palm oil. It is inedible, so does not disrupt the food chain, and grows on marginal land not suitable for food crops, so does not displace much needed agricultural land.
Not only is it sustainable, but its ethical too. Aston Lloyd will be hiring a farmer for each 0.3 hectares sold. This means 33,000 local jobs created for every 10,000 hectares. Not only this, but the communities will be assisted by the construction of hospitals and schools funded from the plantation.
Michael Lucas, Managing Director of Aston Lloyd, said, "We are very proud of the sustainable side of our project. In this day and age investors want a good return on investment, but they want to do it ethically, and in a way that helps the environment."
For more information on Aston Lloyd's Jatropha in Indonesia download the project brochure here: http://www.astonlloyd.co.uk/lp-jatropha-project-pr.php