At 01:59 PM 9/11/2007 -0400, you wrote: >Hi Tom, > >A question I have about this is whether the harvested biomass is that >which is "rotting on the forest floor" or that which has already been >transported to mills & other facilities. I know enough about forest >dynamics to know that what's "rotting" is really an input for other >processes that keep the forest healthy.
Dear Jennifer and Friends--Yes, the input for other processes piece is important. I doubt that the originators of this idea are looking at overall nutrient and energy flows and balances. What I gathered from this article is that not all of this "harvested biomass" is wasting on the former forest floor, but that a lot of it has been chipped up already, just not used so far. >I'm generally wary of becoming reliant on plant resources to replace >fossil fuels. These might be renewable in some sense, but the energy we >harvest from them was going somewhere, keeping some other system going. >Without looking for a thorough analysis, I would lean toward >preferentially using solar, wind, tidal energy first, because the amount >we would take (relative to the amount available) is much smaller. Another problem is that instead of the carbon being "sequestered" in the ecosystem, it is being burned and adding to the C02 burden of the atmosphere. This is not, obviously, a long term solution to the region's energy needs, such as small hydro, wind or solar would be, as you suggested, but perhaps an interim partial solution for some folks? Of course the use of fossil fuels to get the waste wood prepared and shipped to the point of consumption may void any utility/ROI for doing so. P.S. In other news, I'm running for the vacant first ward Common Council >seat (Shane Seger has resigned). More info at www.jenniferdotson.org. Yes, so I have heard. I'm not in your ward, but good luck with your campaign. I'm certain you will be a valuable asset to Council. Tom Tom Shelley 118 E. Court St. Ithaca, NY 14850 607 342-0864 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.myspace.com/99319958 _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
