[Hidden-tech] Green energy providers

[ussailis at shaysnet.com]

Be very careful of the "biomass" bit. Many of us think that it is the use
of waste products as in waste paper or even unusable tree parts as in
limbs, etc. In our neck of the woods "biomass" = trees.

I thought only waste trees & tree parts were used until I saw an article in
"Atlantic Forestry" mag last spring.

First, limbs and waste tree parts are used, but that depends on what
"waste" is. Yes, unusable wood for pulp or sawlogs might be used, if there
is enough for profitability. (In the pulpwood recovery, trees are now
chipped on-site. There is no 'waste.')

Most often, though, it is whole trees, bark, limbs and all that are sent to
the electric generator. So nothing remains on the land to aid regeneration.

Worse, the latest harvest method is to remove roots and all. The entire
tree is fed to a chipper, and chips trucked to the generator.

In Nova Scotia there is a law about leaving a parcel of land for
regeneration. Atlantic Forestry had a cover picture of one of these
efforts. A island of forest was left in a very large denuded area. 

Now for those of us who garden, we know there is more than vegetation waste
that makes stuff grow. In the forest small animals and the food chain of
animals also help. So when I saw this picture I asked how the small animals
were to get to this island to start the cycle over? Of course most will not
venture over the denuded expanse.

Somewhere I have read that the German Forestry folks tried using the whole
tree (although not the root stock) once. They abandoned this because soil
nutrient levels dissipated after a time.

So 'biomass' for electric generation fuel would be fine if it were a yearly
crop thing, like old corn stalks. I don't believe it is anywhere near here.
 
---

Disclaimer. I have about 181 acres of forest in Nova Scotia. I originally
thought that biomass generated electric was a good use for the 'trash.' I
now think otherwise. 


Jim Ussailis
jim at nationalwireless.com





Original Message:
-----------------
From: Jonathon Podolsky producer at wholehealthexpo.com
Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 22:15:43 -0400
To: Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
Subject: [Hidden-tech] Green energy providers


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