Innovative, wool-based insulation wins World Bank grant for Green ideas Washington DC, May 27, 2005—The World Bank recently held a global competition for innovative and profitable environmental ideas. Thousands of applicants responded to the call with clever plans for saving Siberian tigers, reusing mosque water for irrigation or making eco-friendly coffins. Vesna Kolar, a woman from Travnik, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was no exception. She came to Washington DC this week armed with wool samples and a disarmingly simple plan for converting wasted wool into warmth. Her project, which addresses pollution and landfill issues and is set to benefit a wide range of citizens, was awarded $148,000 by the Bank. The institution handed out a total of four million dollars at the two-day 'Development Marketplace' competition. For Kolar, it all started with a piece of yarn. When she looked at the shaggy sheep frolicking in the mountains of her native Bosnia, she wondered whether their wool could make nice sweaters. “I like to weave,” Kolar smiled, standing at her booth among other finalists at the World Bank headquarters. As it turns out, the mountain sheep that are prevalent in Bosnia and Herzegovina are not the knitting kind. The Pramenka sheep may be renowned for their milk and meat, but their bodies are covered with thick mops of wool that are unsuitable for making clothes. Some farmers tried to introduce more sophisticated wool-producers. Over time, however, their coat either turned impossibly dense like the local mountain breed, or the sheep died of pneumonia, unable to survive the damp, cold weather. So shepherds resigned themselves to milking their herds for cheese and dumping their wool into small landfills in the neighboring countryside. This drove Kolar mad. “We have all these resources running around,” she remembers thinking. “We have to use them.” At the same time, Kolar noted that the houses built in area, especially the ones built in haste after the devastation of the war, are poorly insulated and usually heated by burning coal and wood. Heavy reliance on fossil fuels contributes to deforestation and nefarious emissions of carbon dioxide. During the harsh winter months, dense smog is common above Bosnian villages and towns. Kolar decided to “dress the houses” in wool to save energy and reduce the chopping of wood. “Natural wool has excellent insulation properties,” said Kolar. “It is better than Mineral wool,” the toxic material made out of melted fibers which is sometimes used in construction. Kolar discovered that farmers in Ireland, Scotland and New Zealand were already using wool as insulation and pushed ahead with her vision. The World Bank grant will help her set up the production of insulating wool layers, using simple machinery, and train people to install it safely in houses. UPUT, the Travnik business association, CHF, an international NGO, and a regional development agency called REZ are partners in the project. Wool will initially be used to insulate 100 households in Travnik. Displaced people, whose homes were destroyed during the war and have returned to the area, will be the first to benefit from the project. Shepherds, who will now have an extra market for their herds, are sure to profit as well. Kolar estimates that roughly 100 tons of wool a year can be gathered at shearing stations in the area of Travnik alone. She sees potential for growth in other parts of Bosnia, as well as in neighboring Balkan countries - everywhere Pramenka sheep graze. * * * For additional information, visit: -The World Bank's 'Development Marketplace' website -The World Bank in Bosnia website |
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