When China wants something, they go after it with gusto. In an effort to reduce dependence on foreign natural resources, the world's third-largest producer of ethanol has decided to grow a forest encompassing nearly 33 million acres; or roughly the size of England. Such a move will allow them to harvest more than 6 million tons of biodiesel every year. China's plant of choice? The Jatropha, also called the physic nut, which produces a non-edible oil for making candles and soap. From the article,

The jatropha trees can also provide wood fuel for a power plant with an installed capacity of 12 million kilowatts about two-thirds the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam project, the world’s biggest. This amount of bio-energy will account for 30 percent of the country’s renewable energy by 2010, according to the SFA.

It is expected that China will spend nearly $192 billion over the next 15 years on projects related to renewable energy sources. This forest of fuel is simply a piece of a puzzle that includes solar, wind, and hydro solutions. It's encouraging to see such developments from a country as quickly-growing and power-hungry as China. I just wonder if it's enough. To be sure, growing a forest of renewable energy sounds a lot better than growing corn. I wonder how long it will be before the U.S. decides a similar course. Hit the article for more information.

Source: China Set To Grow Forest The Size Of England For Ethanol and Biodiesel