Absent in the majority of the speeches we heard at last week’s summit of African Energy Ministers in Johannesburg were references to biomass, either as a renewable fuel with the potential to deliver significant energy for economic growth, or for its contribution to sub-Saharan Africa’s energy balance.
Climate Change
NEWS: US Dpt. of Energy Releases Report on U.S. Biomass Supply Potential
How much renewable biomass can the United States produce each year to meet its future bioenergy needs? Enough to displace 30 percent of its current petroleum use by 2030.
NEWS: Forests Absorb One Third of Fossil Fuel Emission, Study Finds
The world’s established forests remove 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon per year from the atmosphere — equivalent to one third of current annual fossil fuel emissions — according to new research published in the journal Science.
Can growing trees for fuel actually cut down CO2 emissions?
Sustainable forestry practices that provide timber for the building trades can help mitigate the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a new study found.
One reason is younger trees absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere than mature trees. Another is that cutting trees after their CO2 absorption rates taper provides building materials that can be used instead of steel and concrete, which are created in processes that emit large quantities of CO2.
Yo, African countries: Don’t count your billions before they hatch.
African countries hoping to cash in on the $100 billion carrot being dangled by climate change negotiators for adaptation and mitigation in the developing world will first have to figure out how to sustainably provide energy to the more than 90% of people in sub-Sahara that depend on wood and charcoal for cooking and heating.