Over at the Summit County Citizens Voice, Bob Berwyn notes a study that throws cold water on some folks zeal for “Large-Scale Forest Biomass Energy.” According to Berwyn, the study, by the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and several universities suggests that such large-scale production “may be unsustainable and is likely to increase greenhouse gas emissions in the long run.” Here are a few “concerns” raised by the study:
- The general assumption that bioenergy is carbon-neutral is not valid.
- The reduction of biomass and lost carbon sequestration by forests could take decades to centuries to be “paid back” by fossil fuel substitution, if paid back at all.
- There are significant concerns about the economic viability of biofuels, which may require government mandates or subsidies.
- A higher demand for biomass from forests will increase prices for the biomass, as in Germany where they have already increased in price 300-600 percent from 2005 to 2010.
- An emphasis on bioenergy production from forests could lead to shorter rotation lengths, questionable management practices and increased dependence on wood imports.
- Negative impacts on vegetation, soil fertility, water and ecosystem diversity are all possible.
- Fertilizer use, another important source of greenhouse gas emissions, could increase.
- The use of fossil fuels in the Industrial Revolution allowed previously degraded forests to recover in much of Europe and the U.S., while industrial-scale use of forests for biomass would likely reverse this trend.
Full study from GCB Bioenergy (2012) here (pdf)
Also reported at Science Daily
The source feed for all these reports and the “full study” link, from Oregon State University, is here
