Bermuda Beeswax Gets An International Launch
The Minister of Home Affairs Walter Roban celebrates Bermuda’s partnership with MIT in the release of Bermuda beeswax as part of an initiative with their space programme.
A Government spokesperson said, “MIT Media Lab and the Ministry have a relationship through the participation of Dr. Danielle Wood, who leads the Space Enabled group, whose mission statement is “Advancing justice in Earth’s complex systems using designs enabled by space.
“Dr. Wood approached the Ministry late last year to see if she could get a quantity of Bermuda beeswax to use in her exciting work.
“It is beautifully suited to that purpose. It is stable [doesn’t combust easily], but it’s a hydrocarbon so it burns well, providing just enough energy to reposition a small satellite.
“Why Bermuda beeswax? Because ours is a low-pollution environment, comparatively speaking, and the group wants to see how differently sourced beeswax works in practical terms when burned, and our beeswax tends not to come from a single cultivar [like a field of clover or other crop], and the varieties of pollen the bees use could also have an impact on how the beeswax performs.
“According to Professor Danielle Wood of the Space Enabled team, she and Dr. Javier Stober of the Space Enabled Research Group at the MIT Media Lab are looking forward to receiving beeswax from Bermuda as part of a long term research project to study the potential of wax-based ingredients to create fuel for satellites orbiting around the Earth.
“The MIT team is thankful to the generosity of the team in Bermuda which is allowing the research to explore how beeswax from different regions and flowers may behave differently as a potential fuel.
“The satellite industry needs new options for low-cost, non-toxic fuels that are drawn from renewable ingredients. Beeswax from Bermuda may contribute to understanding next generation designs to help foster sustainability on Earth and in Space.”
“It didn’t hurt that Minister Roban is himself a beekeeper- so he was of course the most enthusiastic. Minister Roban celebrated the relationship between Bermuda and MIT, and applauds Professor Danielle Wood and her team for their hard work.”
Minster Roban stated, “We at the Ministry of Home Affairs are extremely proud of the work undertaken by Professor Wood and the entire programme at MIT. This initiative has put Bermuda’s beeswax on the map. We look forward to seeing the flight on May 20th, where Bermuda’s beeswax will be burned.
“I want to especially thank the Beekeeping Association who contributed the consignment of beeswax, Mr. Tommy Sinclair, Principal Agriculture Officer with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, who was instrumental in getting the beeswax on its way to MIT, Mr. Lewell Woolridge Jr, and Mr. Albert Swan. The Ministry of Home Affairs is grateful for all of their contributions and hard work toward making this project a success.”
- Photos supplied by Professor Danielle Wood
Walter Roban is a Bee Keeper.
Oh the irony in this buzz……………….