Coir v. Peat etc

Diane Whitehead voltaire@islandnet.com
Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:28:30 PST
coir is the by product of growing coconuts.  Isn't it better to use it  
that dump it in the ocean or in land fills?

=============================

I guess it depends where the coir comes from.  I've just come back  
from one coconut growing area - the Marquesas - a long long way from  
anywhere, in the middle of the Pacific.  The insides of the coconuts  
are removed and dried on racks in the sun, then shipped out for the  
oil to be extracted.  I did not notice great quantities of the shells,  
and the freighter I was on did not pick up any. I imagine the cost of  
shipping to anywhere that wants them would be exorbitant.

Where I once worked on the island of Borneo, the copra was heated over  
outdoor fires to extract the oil by village women, and its use in  
cooking smelled and tasted wonderful.  I don't remember the need to  
get rid of lots of shells - maybe they were the fuel. This was all  
small-scale, though.  The women were doing it for their own use.

Diane Whitehead


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