Coir v. Peat etc
Diane Whitehead (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