Jatropha to the rescue

There is an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning about a plant called jatropha that grows wild in India and produces a golf ball sized bean filled containing an oil which can be converted to biofuel at a cost which makes it much more attractive than corn as a fuel replacement. The plant grows about anywhere and needs very little water. Many farmers in India are now being contracted to plant the thing for harvest and we will soon see if it makes sense to take the project to a large enough scale to make a difference.