E3 I3 + U:

Education, Environment, Energy, Independence,Internet, Infrastructure, and Investment

About Jatropha Information Group
Is a Philippine and US-based independent non-profit (commercially) organization dedicated to making markets work for the triple bottom line - people, planet and profit. Note: not just economic profit, (ethical, environmental, social as well)

Founded in 2007, JIG has pioneered attention on Peak Oil and Global Warming issues in Philippine and through the overseas lack of action and diaspora.

A values-based organization, JIG is committed to leadership for energy independence, sustainable development and human rights.

JIG – Mission
Focused on achieving a net zero impact on the earth's climate using and developing Jatropha. While advocating educational partnerships in the small local communities creating opportunities to increase profits through innovative IP, and Bio centric technologies, and energy efficiencies.

Vision - Climate Justice, though energy independence...self consumption concepts.
Every environmental issue poses a social justice concern, and climate change is no exception.

The ironic part about climate justice is this: Low-income populations are hit the hardest by climate change, yet they contribute the least to climate change on a per-capita basis.

Lower-income populations generally have smaller carbon footprints than higher-income populations as they (usually) buy fewer goods, own smaller homes and drive and fly fewer miles.

The Situation ... the problems
Seems to us, as far as most of us are concerned, we are stuck between the hammer of peak oil and the anvil of global warming.

Which dictates that, a radical and immediate move to reduce our use of fossil fuels -- across the board -- is in order. If we continue business as usual then...We all could be in a: Death Spiral Of Economic Decline!

Death Spiral Of Economic Decline
Less and less food reaches the urban areas due to reduced transport and given-up farms, food prices explode even more.

People starve; the urban survivors eventually get dependent on foreign food aid – if it ever comes.

The “developed” countries can’t send corn anymore; they need it to substitute ethanol for gasoline.

And what if significant parts of the rural population get caught in this death spiral of economic decline?

This is exactly the situation JIG is trying to avoid…

What if ...In poor countries, if you don’t have a family to support you, peak oil is killing the economy & jobs… many rich people are going broke… as a small farmer this is an existential threat:

you could ...loose your farm,
...get displaced,
...perhaps in your desperation you must take on slave-like work for the remaining affluent,
...and/or even send your children into the streets as beggars or sell them as prostitutes or child soldiers. Save Changes

JIG will focus on 7 - Key Issues
From 2007 onwards, JIG will focus its attention on 7 major areas where it will seek to bring challenge and leadership:

(1) Climate Change – lead a major public engagement initiative –‘Climate Challenge Philippines ’ – to promote a pro-active domestic response to climate change in Philippines …

(2) JIG as a Global Player – examine In JIG Philippine emergence as a player on the global stage with particular reference to sustainability and rights issues…

(3) Community Responsibility – focus on core issues and training (especially diversity, sustainability, energy independence & climate change) as plans goes global; provide consultancy and strategic advisory services to 100 other tropical poor countries.

(4) Peak Oil – lead a major public engagement initiative –‘Peak Oil Philippines ’ – to promote a pro-active domestic response to Peak Oil in Philippines …

(5) JIG as a Educator – Place through web 2.0 technology …JIG Philippine emergence as a player on the global stage with particular reference to sustainability and human rights issues…

(6) Global Responsibility – focus on core issues and training (especially diversity, environmental ethics, peak oil, & climate change) as JIG. goes global; in 100 other poor countries. JIG plans to provide consultancy and strategic advisory services too.

(7) Sustainable Energy – lead a major public engagement initiative –‘Climate Challenge, & Sustainable Energy, and Independence at / in each community in the Philippines ’ – to promote a pro-active domestic response to climate change, Sustainable Energy through Jatropha development in Philippines …and 100 other poor countries within 7 years.

Why JIG Concentrates On The Small ...
Across the Third World, small farms are 2-10 times more productive per acre than larger farms.
In the US, farms smaller than 27 acres have more than 10 times the dollar-per-acre output of larger farms.
"Small family and part-time farms are at least as efficient as larger commercial operations. There is evidence of dis economies of scale as farm size increases."

Why?
"If we are concerned about food production, small farms are more productive. If our concern is efficiency, they are more efficient.

If our concern is poverty, land reform to create a small farm economy offers a clear solution. The small farm model is also the surest route to broad-based economic development.

If the loss of biodiversity or the sustainability of agriculture concern us, small farms offer a crucial part of the solution.

What are +7s (carbon offsets)?

+7s represent an investment in a carbon offset. Carbon Offsets are investments in projects that either:

Avoid releasing greenhouse gases because they are powered with renewable energy (like solar, wind, hydro power or bio-fuels)

Avoid releasing greenhouse gases because they use less energy (like energy efficiency improvements to homes and buildings)

Absorb greenhouse gases after they are emitted (like planting tropical rain forests)

+7s a unit is equivalent to displacing 77 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and therefore works to limit the pollution that is causing global warming.

To be qualified as a sound investment and something that really makes a difference in reducing global warming, a carbon offset must meet the following criteria:

Additional - it must be something new that wouldn't have happened without financial investment from the sale of carbon offsets.

Verifiable - the greenhouse gas savings must be able to be calculated and checked by a reputable organization to make sure it really is saving carbon.

JIG will invest the funds from the sale of +7s , in local, and regional carbon offset projects that would not otherwise be possible and will help reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf.- Additional

What Makes +7s So Special?

There are lots of carbon offsets available for purchase today. When you purchase +7s you aren't purchasing just any carbon offset.

There are SEVEN things that set +7s offsets apart from other offsets on the market today.

1 -Absorb CO2e – each unit – 77 tons of CO2e
2 -Low carbon bio diesel – 50% less emissions
3 -Zero net* substitute for Coal … bio waste cake
4 -Verification
5 -Invest in jatropha Bio Fuel development exclusively
6 -Insured return on Investment
7 -ROI of up to 34 % per year compounded- yearly …


The +7s programs

The +7s program is the first carbon offset program in the world to offer Jatropha development exclusively, to benefit community, municipal or state governments.

It was developed in collaboration with the Jatropha Information Group or Energy Office. The blessing of many environmental and sustainable NGOs and organizations around the world.

Each of the projects in the +7s program direct investment portfolio is focused at local community development of jatropha alternative fuel efforts.

+7s program projects are certified by a third party under Chicago Climate Exchange standards. This means that rigorous carbon accounting standards are applied to ensure that these investments are really offsetting the greenhouse gases that are being sold as +7s program.

Finally, because the +7s program is run by the JIG and not as a for-profit business venture, 90% cents of every dollar goes directly to the project itself…

(compared to the 40-60 cents that makes it to the offset project in other carbon offset programs).

Educate to First Reduce, Then Offset
While carbon offsets are not the answer to solving the problems of peak oil & global warming they are a viable economic tool that works to promote renewable energy development, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation that otherwise would have not taken place.

The purchase of +7s is one way to become carbon neutral in your home or business or when you travel or drive your car. However, it is not the only way.

The best way is to simply produce less carbon by using less energy and finding alternative ways of using energy that don't produce greenhouse gases.

For a checklist of how to reduce your carbon footprint, visit
Our web site,

Then, once you have done all you can do on your own, buy +7s to offset the rest of your carbon. Be Carbon Neutral … you know it is the right thing to do.

What Carbon Offsets will +7s invest in?
The portfolio of +7s will be balanced to provide investments that offset our customers' carbon dioxide emissions while meeting high standards of performance and transparency to deliver reductions in greenhouse gases.

Educational Infrastructure
Green Power Development
Community Energy Efficiency and Independence projects

The managers of the +7s portfolio will craft the portfolio to create new investments locally and regionally, to jump start the development of new renewable energy installations, create energy efficiency projects and stimulate carbon reduction markets. As new investments come on-line, we will update the portfolio descriptions.

The projects that +7s will invest in to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may include the following:

Tropical Jatropha absorbs a lot CO2, grows quite robustly

Tropical Jatropha produces a low carbon bio diesel fuel from the seeds

Tropical Jatropha as coal substitute waste cake when combined with other waste biomass


Small Hydroelectric Power
Hydroelectric Power, the leading source worldwide of renewable energy, generates electricity from dammed or flowing water driving a turbine and a generator.
The Electric Utility already generates almost half of its power from so called micro-hydroelectric systems- without building large dams.

Locally and regionally there is more potential to generate electricity in this way with zero greenhouse gases.

Projects will tap unused water resources without big dams by diverting a portion of a stream, a creek or a river and then returning the water into the main flow. +7s will only invest in small scale hydroelectric projects with positive environmental benefits…

Solar Photo voltaic
similarly to power generated by hydroelectric systems, solar photo voltaic systems generate electricity without greenhouse gas emissions. Currently 2-3 projects for solar electric installations on local public schools are being evaluated for addition to the portfolio.

Solar Hot Water
Residences and businesses can produce domestic hot water or heat their buildings with solar power. This solar hot water technology allows water to be heated without electricity or natural gas. A typical solar hot water system, that is displacing coal-fired electricity, can save 7,000 pounds of greenhouse gases each year. Installing solar hot water on homes and businesses allows water to be heated without electricity or natural gas thereby substituting a greenhouse gas producing method with a non polluting renewable one.

Energy Efficiency through the implementation of energy efficiency is based on doing more with less. In the portfolio we will include projects that stimulate the use of more energy efficient technologies and products in the local market place and buildings. The building sector uses 2/3 of the electricity and 1/3 of the natural gas in the U.S, thus we see energy efficiency measures as a key part of our carbon offset portfolio and +7s invest will increase our efforts to help buildings become more energy efficient.

What is Jatropha

What is Jatropha Curcas is a non-edible plant that grows mostly in tropical countries like the Philippines. Jatropha Curcas is resistant to drought and can easily be planted or propagated through seeds or cuttings. It starts producing seeds within 14 months, but reaches its maximum productivity level after 4-5 years. The plant remains useful for around 30-40 years.

As potential source for biodiesel, the Jatropha plant can produce an oil content of 30-58%, depending on the quality of the soil where it is planted. Its seeds yield an annual equivalent of 0.75 to 2 tons of biodiesel per hectare.

Based on a March 2006 study commissioned by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), potential areas for jatropha plantation in the Philippines is at 2 million hectares. If farmers will be encouraged to plant even in field boundaries or hedges and to practice inter cropping, a total of 5 million hectares can be utilized for the jatropha plant.

With 1.1 million hectares dedicated to jatropha, 5.5 million metric tons (MMT) of biodiesel feedstock can be produced.

Five million hectares can yield up to 25 MMT of biodiesel feedstock.

Why use Jatropha?
Benefits of jatropha as biodiesel include the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as of the country's oil imports.

Local production of jatropha is also practical because as a non-food crop, it will not compete with food supply demands.

It can also grow on marginal and degraded land, leaving prime agricultural lots for food crops while at the same time restoring the marginal and degraded land's fertility.

Peak Oil
"If the peak oil theory is correct, and a decline in world production is imminent, a company must choose among four alternatives –
-try to become a dominant participant,
-find a niche operational talent,
-harvest assets or
-liquidate quickly…

What happens if
What happens if global investors continue pulling out of the US and the dollar keeps falling?

Many market players expect it to fall another 20%. Other countries that have lost money in the dollar’s fall may continue buying more euros.

The other shoe may drop:

OPEC may decide to officially re-denominate their oil in euros (since most of the their customers are in Europe anyway).

OPEC economists have been considering this “no-brainer” scenario for sound financial reasons –

My Greatest Fear
On another point, my greatest fear at the moment is that we will be confronted with a serious recession, which will destroy US demand, but also squash serious investment in alternatives ...

If that happens, it will just be another step along the long, slow, slog into obscurity for the US...and a further continuation of recent trends.

Our "deep green - dream" ... is 7,000,000 educated, interconnected and prospering villages...
with 50 ha of Jatropha each ... for 350,000,000 ha of jatropha world wide...

with 7,000,000 Jun Cruse's Jatropha processing plants, making some billions of liters of green fuel, & processing millions of tons of waste cake
that will... with 7,000,000 green power plants ... generate millions of mega watts of green power...

for millions of poor village kids, empowering them with... the WWW and computer access,

Resulting in ... millions of previously poor people, now better educated, better off economically, and motivated to sustainment!

Because education has made them, more aware of their future, their prospects ...and fragility of sustainment... help them to decide to act in environmentally ethically manner, that can help sustain, them indefinitely.

Just imagine the impact JIG can have, ...and what we all can do for Global Warming and mitigating the impacts of Peak Oil.

now that is a plan... that is ...
Doing The Right Thing*

* ... DTRT= Doing The Right Thing*