Forest Biomass Utilization for Energy Production

The ethics of logging have long been debated by environmentalists and wood manufacturing companies. “ No trees for the future would be dreadful indeed. That's

The forests have an independent watchdog(?) named British Columbia’s Forest Practices Board (BCFPD). The board oversees the activities of forest companies, their private contractors, and the government on public land. The board audits randomly selected forestry companies to be audited for compliance and enforcement with forest practice requirements, audits the enforcement of the government forest practices requirements, addresses public complaints on forestry practices, and conducts special investigations on forestry issues (mr113). All the work that the BCFPD does has led to notable positive changes in BC forestry. Some of these positive changes include: Less disturbance from logging, smaller cut blocks, better logging roads and proper maintenance, and more deactivation of logging roads (mr113). While reports have noted these improvements, the board still believes that there is room for improvement. Policies and changes are continually evolving to make BC’s forest as competitive and sustainable as possible. Some of the changes that are believed to be needed include new policies for efficiency, more timber availability to smaller organizations, such as first nations or small communities to help long-term economic development, and many others(mr113).

Creation of products that reduce energy usage, support sustainable forestry practice, promote cleaner water and less air pollution

By planning to open 200 more stores in the near future, IKEA Group will strain their current sustainability practices and wood sourcing standards. According to IKEA Group’s Chief Sustainability Officer, “Worldwide economic activity, if left unchecked, is already on track to consuming 150% of planet earth’s resources” (Rangan, 2017, pg.1) The amount of lumber IKEA will need to procure is rising, but the amount available that fits their standards isn’t rising at the same rate. IKEA’s push to double sales and open the 200 stores will need to be met by a push to create or procure lumber that fit their standard. The options before IKEA are the following: to drive higher procurement targets and standards, to use more recycled wood, to own more forests,

Lastly, one of the biggest benefits of the Wisconsin’s Managed Forest Law at the state level has been its effects on Wisconsin’s forests’ ecosystems. Within forests, the MFL has helped to provide wildlife habitat for game and threatened/ endangered species, maintain forest ecosystem health and vitality, conserve and maintain water and soil resources on and around forestland, and promote forest conservation and biological diversity (Gass 10). To help aid in creating sustainable forest environments, the Wisconsin MFL requires that landowners follow mandatory practices including: releasing trees from competing vegetation, reforesting land to meet minimum forest density standards, performing pre and post harvest treatments to insure forest regeneration,

Finally Since the 1990s Minnesota has witnessed an astonishing turnaround in the economic impact of its forests through a second forest revolution. Today, the

However, the pellet and decking/flooring markets’ substitutes range from wind, solar, oil and coal energy to tile, laminate, composite and hardwood flooring. Our customers and suppliers can’t pressure us with the threat of integration and the larger the mill the more influence over the geographic region. Large mills can provide economic stability to smaller producers of logs and enjoy large profit margins knowing customers cannot create their products on their own.

California has been having problems with wildfires that release as much carbon dioxide as all the cars, trucks, and semis each year, causing them to produce some of the highest amounts of carbon dioxide in the world (Cart). In 1990, California started to look for solutions to eliminate some of the emissions. The idea that the government came up with was buying forest land from developing countries. “(Mary) Nichols (chairperson of California Air Resources Board) call the plan ‘a way for California to help the developing world by investing in forests. Saving our forests is good not only for the atmosphere, It’s also good for indigenous peoples’” (Coant). Under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Program, REDD, forests can earn carbon credits, rewards for how much carbon dioxide is stored in the forest. The country can then sell these credits for money in developed countries. In 2014, the indigenous people of the Lacandon Jungle received a payment for 13,460 hectares of forest area (“Lacandon Jungle: Payments”). What governments are finding out is that instead of being thankful for the money support, indigenous people feel like they are not gaining anything from REDD. They see the program as a way for rich countries to keep polluting, instead of actually trying to cut back on carbon emissions (Coant). Another program that is trying to help the

Worldwide we are seeing a devastation of our forests due to paper production. Consumption of wood products has risen 64% since 1961. Globally, pulp for paper, has risen from 40% in 1998, to an expected 60% over the next 50 years. The industry expects that demand to double by 2050. The U.S. consumes 200,000,000 tons of wood products annually, increasing by 4% every year. U.S. paper producers consume 1 billion trees each year (735 pounds of paper for every American). U.S. at 5% of world population consumes 30% of world’s paper. Only 5% of virgin forests remain in the U.S.

Energy, especially from fossil fuels, is a key ingredient for all sectors of a modern economy and plays a fundamental role in improving the quality of life in less developed economies. In 2007, India is ranked fifth in the world in terms of energy demand; accounting for 3.6% of total energy consumed, and is expected to grow at 4.8% in the future. India imports 70% of the oil it uses, and the country has been hit

An average student at UNH wakes up in the morning and takes a hot shower which uses wood energy from the campus energy source. We write on numerous sheets of paper for notes, waste energy by leaving our lights on, computers running, and music playing. Not to mention the posters on students dorm room walls. All of these everyday factors influence the necessity for deforestation. If just two hundred students shut off their lights when they are not needed and only use their computers when necessary than UNH would save thousands of dollars in energy use.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to help reduce climate change and stop deforestation by buying wood products from certified companies that help forests.

To begin, forest based industrialization is based on forest resources that are used to stimulate economic growth and development. One of the products that have been most important to human economies has always been wood. Wood is durable, light weight, easily worked, waterproof, and a good fiber source. Wood is used in almost every aspect of our lives, for building materials, living, and just surviving. We need wood to build our homes to live in and buildings in which we work and spend the other resource that comes from trees “money”. Studies show that 70% of the products that we use a day are made of some kind of wood. If we were to look around our homes and count all the items that are made of wood we would probably find that 60 percent are made of wood. Without wood humans and other species would never be able to survive.

I am appealing to you as a conservationist. I believe that the natural resources of the forest can be of great help to us. As we experience this oil and gas crisis in the US, we are forced to import oil from foreign countries. Thus causing the cost of

The Wilderness Society’s Governing Council states that “No other ecosystem in the world can store as much carbon as do these forests, and it’s a capacity they have not yet begun to reach” (Bert5). Trees are very important to all of the living species. The cutting down of the trees is now nearly 4 billion trees or 35% of the total trees cut around the