 The Plum Creek Conference on Forests and Energy brought experts in ecology and economics as well as individuals currently involved in the field of biomass utilization to give lectures and lead workshops. The goal of the conference was to identify the areas of agreement and gaps in knowledge with respect to the sustained use of energy from forests to supply energy needs for people while addressing the broad impacts of a changing global climate.
Presentations are now available on the University of Montana's website. They are available in two formats: PDF files, and video.
Elaine Oneil's presentation provides a useful life cycle inventory/life cycle assessment perspective on the role of forest biomass in a carbon as a sustainability metric. The presentation compares the relative contribution of forest in a carbon life cycle assessment in different roles: forest carbon pools, displacing carbon emissions by burning wood for energy, and substituting wood for more energy intensive materials. Acknowledging all three are worthwhile, product substitution offers the greatest impact per dry ton of forest biomass. The forecast of increase in large wildfires adds a factor to be addressed - displacement of large regional fires by fuel reduction.
To view the videos or download presentations, read more>>
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