Gland, Switzerland – Scientists have discovered 11 new species of animals and plants in a remote area in central Vietnam, WWF said today.

The species were found in the Thua Thien Hue Province — a region known as the Green Corridor. They include two butterflies and a snake, as well as five orchids and three other plants, all of which are exclusive to tropical forests in Vietnam’s Annamites Mountain Range.

Ten other plant species, including four orchids, are still under examination but also appear to be new species.

“You only discover so many new species in very special places, and the Green Corridor is one of them,” said Chris Dickinson, WWF’s Chief Technical Adviser in the area.

“Several large mammal species were discovered in the 1990s in the same forests, which means that these latest discoveries could be just the tip of the iceberg.”

Rainforest discoveries
The rainforests of the Central Annamites likely existed as continuous undisturbed forest cover for thousands of years, and, as a result, offer unique habitats for many species, WWF says.

The new snake species, called the white-lipped keelback, tends to live by streams where it catches frogs and other small animals. It has a beautiful yellow-white stripe that sweeps along its head and red dots cover its body. It can reach about 80 centimetres in length.

The butterfly species are among eight discovered in the province since 1996. One is a skipper — a butterfly with quick, darting flight habits — from the genus Zela, the other is a new genus in the subfamily of Satyrinae.

Three of the new orchid species are entirely leafless, which is rare for orchids. They contain no chlorophyll and live on decaying matter, like many fungal species. The other new plants include an aspidistra, which produces a flower that is nearly black. Aspidistra-relatives plants are used as houseplants and are able to withstand very low light conditions. And a newly discovered species of arum has beautiful yellow flowers. Arum plants have funnel-shaped leaves surrounding the flowers.

Species at risk
According to WWF, all these species are at risk from illegal logging, hunting, unsustainable extraction of natural resources and conflicting development interests. However, the Thua Thien Hue Province authorities — in particular the Forest Protection Department — have committed to conserve and sustainably manage these valuable forests.

“The area is extremely important for conservation and the province wants to protect the forests and their environmental services, as well as contribute to sustainable development,” said Hoang Ngoc Khanh, Director of Thua Thien Hue Provincial Forest Protection Department.

Recent surveys have shown that many threatened species are found in the Green Corridor, including 15 reptiles and amphibians and six bird species. The area is also home to Vietnam’s greatest number of white-cheeked crested gibbons, one of the world’s most endangered primates. The Green Corridor is believed to be the best location in Vietnam to conserve the saola, a unique type of wild cattle only discovered by scientists in 1992.

According to WWF, forests in the Annamites also help preserve critical environmental services, such as water supplies for thousand of people who depend on the region’s rivers. They also provide non-timber forest resources for local ethnic minority groups who earn more than half of their income from these products.

END NOTES:

• The new species were discovered between 2005 and 2006.

• The Green Corridor is one of the last remaining lowland wet evergreen forests, and supports significant populations of threatened species. The area also includes some of the longest remaining stretches of lowland river with intact forest habitat in Vietnam, which feed into the Perfume River.

• The Green Corridor project is a four-year initiative that started in June 2004, implemented by the WWF Greater Mekong Programme and Thua Thien Hue Provincial Forest Protection Department. The project receives funding from the World Bank/Global Environmental Facility, WWF, Thua Thien Hue Provincial People’s Committee, and SNV - the Dutch Development Organization. The aim of the project is to protect and maintain the biodiversity rich forests of the Green Corridor. In addition, funds have been provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, under the Multinational Species Conservation Fund and the Concannon Foundation, for primate surveys and conservation work.

A Healthy and Viable Future in Vietnam

The company now boasts 22 employees, including scientists, farmers, international businessmen, industrial workers and of course family.

GreenEnergy’s corporate mission aims to bring large tracts of rural land under scientific but basic cultivation of bio-fuel feedstocks, bringing with it employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to potentially thousands of Vietnamese rural poor, while providing inputs for GreenEnergy’s core business, the refining and marketing of bio-diesel.

It is a win, win situation for everyone because not only does cultivation of this vegetable oil require only marginally arable, war damaged or barren land, this also means its activities do not compete with other food production which avoids putting upward pressure on food prices.

N.B (Vietnamese Government has identified seven million hectares as marginal, barren or war damaged land).

In addition GreenEnergy`s operations achieve a renewable and sustainable fuel source for Vietnam to continue its development with all the attendant social, economic and environmental benefits in producing clean energy.

Because of the scale and potential of the bio-diesel industry in Vietnam and indeed globally, where tens of millions of bio-fuel crops will have to be grown to substantially replace fossil fuels, a ‘second green revolution’ is possible, bringing with it true improvement in the lives of the rural poor and vegetable oils can play a significant role in helping to ameliorate global warming as a key aspect of climate change.

Global warming, a key aspect of climate change, now clearly recognized as a result of a concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere - has the worst impact on the climate.

Carbon dioxide, the most common of GHGs, is emitted during the burning of fossil fuels.

The Kyoto Protocol gazetted in February 2005 requires participating countries to cut carbon emissions.

Further to this, rising crude oil prices and the need to reduce dependence on imported oil has made it necessary for net oil importers to think of alternative energy sources. The precarious situation with fossil fuel supplies coupled with the ability of bio-fuels to lessen that risk, makes it feasible for the global economy to revert its focus towards agriculture and those traditionally engaged in it, thus offering a potential boon to Vietnam’s rural sector.

Full bio-diesel use would reduce net CO2 by over 78% compared to petroleum diesel and up to 16% with the use of blends comprising 20% bio-diesel.

While both fuels are almost equally efficient at converting raw energy resources into fuels, bio-diesel has a larger part that is renewable. Similarly, bio-diesel is non-toxic and environmentally friendly as it produces substantially less CO2, ensuring sustainable environmental practices.

GreenEnergy has recognized this mammoth task and has adopted a dual strategy for attaining its goals in Vietnam.

1.Public – Aggressive initiatives to “jump-start” the production side of bio-fuel feedstocks by forming a partnership with Vietnams Central Government and People’s Committees as well as aid agencies to help put large tracts of marginal land under bio-fuel crop cultivation quickly.

A memorandum of understanding and support was signed by the Peoples Committee of Binh Dinh Province and Green Energy Vietnam on the 8th of December 2006 and the 500 hectare Binh Dinh Research and Training Facility for the Cultivation of Biofuel Feedstocks has been established, known as BDF- FARMER ENERGY- a working laboratory devoted to developing the bio-fuel industry for the benefit of Vietnamese rural poor.

2.Private – Includes GEV investments to retain its ‘First Mover’ advantage by securing its proprietary feedstocks, expanding its physical plant refinery presence and continuing to build its integrated supply-chain, complete with forward contracted suppliers and customers.

It is in this first arena, Public Initiatives, that GreenEnergy sees co-operation with aid agencies.

Some of the substantial and sustainable benefits that the cultivation of bio-fuels crops can contribute to Vietnam are:

1. Real cash growth, raising the annual income of $820 to $1,300 U.S. for thousands of marginalized rural families.

2. Private homesteading for the rural poor.

3. Stress relief and barren or war damaged land reclamation.

4. Enfranchisement of poor, rural women.

5. Retention of scarce foreign currency reserves and

6. Independence from the uncertainties of global mineral oil markets.

The People`s Committee of the Province of Binh Dinh and GreenEnergy, Vietnam, in full realization of the enormous impact this Research and Training Facility will have for all of Vietnam`s rural communities, cordially invites any and all organizations seeking positive change in the livelihood of rural Vietnamese to form an active Partnership in the development of this Research and Training Facility.

The Binh Dinh Facility wants to be a catalyst in harnessing this opportunity for all stakeholders and delivering:

- A path for the rural poor to climb out of their deprivation rather than fall further behind.

- A renewable, sustainable and viable alternative to fossil fuel for Vietnam’s surging economy. and an industry that rejuvenates, rather than degrades the environment.

Introduction to the oil plant Jatropha.

The oil plant Jatrophas curcas (L) (Jatropha) or physic nut, is multipurpose and drought resistant, growing to a height range of 2 to 7 metres for the Asian species and it not only flourishes in tropical and sub-tropical climate zones but even in areas absent of water.

Because its leaves and stems are toxic to animals it is often used as a protective hedge around farm houses, gardens and fields.

It also reduces soil damage caused by erosion from wind and water and traditionally the seeds were harvested by women for medical treatments and local soap production.

In Thailand, Jatropha normally flowers twice a year, in dry and rainy seasons with seed harvesting conducted approximately 60-90 days after flowering and the oil plant has a productive life of 20 years.

Because the market is probably not yet mature enough for the plant to generate enough income solely from oil extraction, a holistic rural development approach has to be taken into account in order to exploit all potential uses of the Jatropha plant. This approach is known as the Jatropha System.

The system focuses not only on the use of the source as a fuel, but rather as an element, to activate a system combining ecologic, economic and income generating activities.

Consequently, the Jatropha System offers four main aspects of development aiming to better the livelihoods in rural areas, especially for women and farmers:

. Renewable energy- bio-diesel

. Erosion control and soil improvement

. Promotion of women and

. Income generation.

About one-third of seeds can be extracted as oil that has a similar energy value to diesel fuel. The oil is extracted by hydraulic pressure and then filtered through an intensive sleeve that can then be readily used without any complicated refinery process, directly available for small diesel engines as a substitution for diesel oil, without engine modification.

This oil can power engines, such as water pumps, tractors, hand mowers, other farm machinery and rice milling machines and by using this domestically produced oil as a substitution for imported oil, significant cash savings can be made.

GreenEnergy Ltd have already committed a considerable amount of time, money and resources to this environmentally sound an economically sustainable project in Vietnam and welcome further input from other interested parties.

It is also their belief that at an international level, stakeholders involved should perform a three pronged approach, with mutual knowledge, technology transfer, genetic development of high oil content in the seeds and exchange of Jatropha species, together with investment and trade linkage.