John Flesher, an environmental writer for the Associated Press, reports that some are raising concerns that the use of tree matter, or woody biomass, as an alternative fuel source may lead to increased deforestation.Flesher writes, “Forests are a treasure trove of limbs and bark that can be made into alternative fuels and some worry the increasing trend of using that logging debris will make those materials too scarce, harming the woodlands.” Additionally, forests act as a carbon sink, taking carbon out of the atmosphere, which helps combat global warming, so more logging naturally means less carbon sink productivity.
Flesher reports that University of Minnesota forest expert Dennis Becker reports, “that many would-be investors are uneasy about supplies of waste wood. They fear environmental reviews and litigation could make some public woodlands unreliable sources, particularly in the West, where most forest lands are under federal ownership and logging often raises legal tussles, the report said.” Additional problems exist in getting to and transporting woody biomass from areas that aren’t under protection.
Still, the federal government thinks woody biomass is a source of alternative fuel that is worth investing in. To that end, and based on a federal reports that estimates 386 million tons of biomass could “be removed sustainably from U.S. forests each year,” US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack promised in August the department would spend “$57 million on 30 projects supporting development of biofuels from trees.”
Many officials on both the federal and state level see these investments as a win-win situation as it reduces dependence on foreign oil, curbs greenhouse gases and invests in a green economy. While this may be true, additional tree removal to provide the woody biomass may negatively affect the carbon equation as removing the trees reduces the amount of carbon that can be naturally removed from the atmosphere. Additionally, it takes oil to convert the material into a usable fuel source. Further, removing wood biomass can hurt forests as the decaying biomass is a source of nutrients for forest flora and fauna.
Regardless, there is a lot of enthusiasm for biomass conversion right now, so woody biomass will continue to be viewed as a possible alternative fuel source. As the technology continues to develop it is likely new regulations will have to be implemented to cut down on any adverse affects of this technology.
To read the AP story click here.
Posted: 11/23/09
