Biomass Energy: The New Frontier?

http://www.palletenterprise.com/articledatabase/view.asp?articleID=2013

With the high cost of refined products from crude oil, it is important to find less expensive alternatives. It is also desirable to reduce fossil fuel consumption to alleviate harmful effects of global warming. This would mean use of more renewable fuels and, possibly, nuclear energy, although there is less concern about global warming in this country than in most other countries.

We should do all we can to use energy from residue wood efficiently and economically, and thereby conserve fossil fuel and reduce high costs incurred through use of petroleum-based fuels. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 should be a big help.

We can have the greatest direct impact on petroleum and natural gas fuel usage by burning or gasifying wood for space heat, process energy and power. One alternative source that is available and underused is surplus wood.

Certainly wood that is suitable for use in more valuable products should not be diverted to energy use that provides less income; however, other wood is unused or even burned or landfilled for disposal. Such wood is well suited for energy applications.

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That ought to be shocking, but I guess nothing is anymore.

Most of it was chipped and exported to Brazil for mulch.

It could have supplied a small power plant for a couple years...

"Wood? Can't use the stuff here. Let's burn a few thousand gallons of diesel to ship it halfway around the world, where somebody wants it."