Environmental Benefits of Biomass
The global climate change agenda is a promising new platform whereby renewable technologies can receive support to gain new markets. Images of the Arctic Sea (at right) show that the ice boundary has shrunk significantly since 1979. In this context, bioenergy is an attractive alternative to help reduce fossil fuel use (Kaltschmitt and Bauen 1999). The need for renewable energy alternatives to mitigate climate change, the possibility to produce biomass resources on a sustainable basis, the opportunity to address rural socio-economic problems by promoting bioenergy, and the restructuring of energy markets favoring small-scale decentralized generation are some of the factors that make bioenergy options particularly interesting in many countries. Besides being renewable, bioenergy can bring about other environmental benefits including the recovery of degraded land, reduction of soil erosion, and protection of watersheds.
Carbon sequestration, the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into long-lived carbon pools, and the mitigation of greenhouse gases are of prime importance in reducing global climate change. Carbon sequestration pools associated with forests can include above-ground living biomass (trees and shrubs), living biomass in soils (roots, soil organic matter, etc.), and products created from biomass (lumber, paper, etc.) (CSiTE 2002). Forests utilize carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and emit less carbon dioxide than fossil fuels when burned. The carbon cycle (left) is basically a closed cycle when using forest biomass to produce bioenergy and the process of burning forest biomass is essentially a carbon neutral process.
A primary reason for the recent high incidence of wildfires is the over abundance of available fuel wood. At the forest level, the use of biomass for bio-based products may help decrease the risk of wildfires. Creating a healthier forest by removing brush, small diameter trees, damaged trees, and other fuel sources can lessen the possibility of large, high intensity wildfires as well as mortality caused by insects and disease (See the Healthy Forests Initiative). A healthier forest can also support a larger diversity of wildlife. The use of sustainable forest biomass for bioenergy and bio-based products will benefit forests, wildlife, and humanity.
Environmental considerations related to bioenergy and bio-based products are discussed in detail in the section entitled Environmental Sustainability.
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