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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1979)
Page 12 THE BATTALION THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1979 the world United Press International SAO PAULO, Brazil — Scientists have discovered a native tree that produces oil similar to diesel fuel and are studying hundreds of other plants they hope will provide inex pensive forests of energy for the fu ture. A species of the copaiba tree tested at the National Amazonian Research Institute in the jungle capital of Manaus produces up to 26 gallons of oil a year. “It’s a perfect substitute for diesel in engines. They can run without modifications,” said Jose Guilherme Maia, coordinator of the copaiba pro ject, which has been studying the tree for two years and running a Tree makes diesel substitute Toyota pickup with the fuel for 12 months. Trees in the copaiba family grow up to a height of 60 feet and an aro matic resin obtained from the tree was formerly used for medicinal pur poses. Consumption is slightly higher than regular gasoline because copaiba burns cooler, but perform ance is the same, Maia said. Scientists in Manaus and in the industrial metropolis of Sao Paulo are studying more than 400 species of native trees they say can provide everything from diesel fuel to pet rochemical feedstocks. Brazil is larger than the continen tal United States but lacks oil as a major resource, forcing it to import 85 percent of its petroleum con sumption. The country’s oil bill is expected to consume half its $15 bil lion export income in 1979. Last week, the government raised the price of gasoline from $1.80 a gallon to $2.80. But, it has vast land areas which can be used to grow forests of energy at very low cost, researchers say. “It won’t happen in the next 10 years, but in the future Brazil will become one of the major exporters of biomass (energy),’’ predicted Ulf Schuchard, a German chemist at the University of Campinas outside Sao Paulo. Brazil already is using alcohol grown from sugar cane to power con ventional cars in a 20-80 percent mixture with gasoline and its 1 mil lion vehicle a year auto industry will produce 250,000 cars running on pure alcohol in 1980. In addition, oil from soybeans, peanuts, castor seeds and sunflowers is being used to run diesel engines by experts at Sao Paulo’s Institute of Technological Research. There may come a time when the world’s growing population will force countries to choose between growing food and biomass energy, said Schuchard. The chemist said his team is now working on making tree oil econo mical . PhoeniXongs Recording Artist Shah thought to be worth $17-21 billion United Press International LONDON — A Middle East business magazine estimates the wealth of the exiled shah of Iran at $17 billion to $21 billion. But the magazine, “8 Days,” which is largely funded by the country of Dubai, said Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was unable to take the fabulous crown jewels of Iran with him when he went into exile in January. It said the jewels were worth about $130 million. The magazine article said a strike in support of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had closed the bank where the jewels were kept. But the article, under the headline “How the Shah Plundered Iran,” said even without the jewels the ousted monarch’s wealth was im pressive. It quoted “Western economic analysts” as estimating the total over seas assets of the Pahlavi family as “probably close to the ruling clergy ’s calculations of $17 billion to $21 billion. ” Well-informed Iranians in exile estimate that $700 million was extracted by the Pahlavis from the Bank Omran, TOO percent owned by the Pahlavi Foundation,” the article said. Central bank employees disclosed that during the last months of the shah’s reign, the Pahlavi Foundation had $65 million deposited in foreign bank accounts — “a kind of royal tithe paid three times a year by ministries and staterun agencies,” it said. InComert! PEC.7«8 th ^£5* TICKET in advance, door available MSC box office Song Writing Workshop 12-3 PM Dec. 8, in the Basement - FREE •© MSG Ceoheid Variable :p\ PRESENTS THF WIZ/NRD OF Thursday, December 6 8:00 & 1030 Rudder ^Theater $1.25 M rated G STEAKHOUSE 4 A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN GOOD FOOD, FUN AND FRIENDS. 2528 S. Texas College Station United EW HA’ B has been sales 1 juals. |^ow, the victoriou now f( ier-rangin 'he New [the first o approve! lermen t oday. teve-Mas hnecticut 1111 Control up will tr proved in te pressui »pt it state [le said tb ; to see tin io types of led and uire prof lying for We feel n e to be in get that k ’he New of pistol; Territorial imperative Two-year-old Keith Baker defies the world to step into his territory, the temporarily dry Rudder Fountain. The fountain has been drained so loose tiles can be replaced. Keii! aunt was involved in the art fair Wednesm morning. Battalion photo by Clay CocMI ga Party to meet to pick successor Irish prime minister to qu\ United NEWORI jit Courl [suit by a T irement feturn is [he fedora jeld a lov |ce Hanst h to stat tax retur anson ha United Press International DUBLIN, Ireland — Prime Minister Jack Lynch said Wednes day he will resign and asked his gov erning Fianna Fail Party to meet soon to select a successor. Lynch’s announcement came after months of speculation that he plan ned to step down and allow a new premier to lead his party into general elections scheduled for 1982. Lynch, 62, told his party col leagues of his decision at a specially convened meeting to discuss the government’s recent defeats in two local elections, one in Lynch’s own parliamentary district. The leading contenders for the premiership are Vice Premier George C. Colley, 54, and Health Minister Charles E. Haughey, 53, both of whom contested the leader ship when Lynch was selected in 1965. Colley, an orthodox Fianna Fail minister, has backed Lynch’s hard line policy agaist the Irish Republi can Army and his selection would mean no change in government poli cy in that area. Colley’s opponent, Haughey, once called the “golden boy” of Irish politics, has had a turbulent, con troversial career within the party. Lynch fired him as finance minister in 1970 over charges he was involved in a conspiracy to import arms for the Roman Catholic minority in North ern Ireland. Haughey was tried but acquitted. In the 1970 purge of his Cabinet, Lynch also fired Agricultural Minis ter Nial Blaney and twojunioruB 1 ! 6 the taj ters. A third, Kevin Boland.it' Id United EW YOI h of trav wide e ce estim; new en k markel pes to c somt [the 1980 [ain 40 pc rrs time To Buy Your Aggie Christmas Cards 2 styles available ONLY *2 5 7pkg NOW ON SALE IN MSC AT RODDER BOX OFFICE sponsored by The CLASS OF ’80 igned in protest against the] Since then, Haughey, dei as a brilliant economist, worked: self back into favor with Lyro was reappointed to the Cabinet Lynch’s record-breaking triun p^J 1977 when he won the largest n ity in Ireland’s political history 20-seat majority over all other ties in the 148-seat Parliament A veteran Irish politician on«| marked that Lynch lacked al qualities for political success, one. “And the one he has inakesa!| others unnecessary,” the pol added. He was referring to tbi sonal charm and the natioi popularity of the relaxed prei Another politician, comini on Lynch’s rise to leadership od land’s biggest single party, scribed him as “walking softly the corridors of power. “But there was never anyd of him taking the wrong turning said. L. I In the beginning of Lynchs? 1^ tical career he was the late Pres® Eamon DeValera’s hand-p* choice as spokesman on edud T and the Irish language, a post P comfortably near DeValeras ! ^ j most cherished fields. / k-'' But the Gaelic-speaking I® u / avoided the pitfalls strewn lib# within the program to revive In j a spoken tongue. By the time] Valera moved off the stage in make way for the businesshke, matic rule of the late Premier F. Lemass, Lynch already hadtj his niche within the Fianna Party. DEC. 7,8 — 7 P. MSC GAMES AREA A.C.U.-I Double Elimination Tournament Men’s & Women’s Divi sions Winners Advance to Regions'sin] Baton Rouge, LA. Sign-up at MSC Bowling and Games Desk RnwVwT