FAQ ABOUT BIOMASS
Isn't biomass renewable and carbon neutral?
Yes, but neither matters in a climate emergency, The important question is "Does it warm the planet? " Replanted trees don't grow fast enough to absorb biomass carbon dioxide In the ten years we have left to prevent catastrophic global warming. While that carbon is in the atmosphere, it warms the planet, adding to the vicious cycle of wildfires, permafrost melt, and more emissions.
How big a problem/opportunity are biomass greenhouse gas emissions?
Our local biomass plants emit 400,000 tons of CO2e a year. This is more than all the cars in Humboldt County. Biomass plants are the low hanging fruit in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. A ten year plan to replace biomass with clean energy is much easier than teaching cows not to belch or getting people not to drive.
Does biomass prevent wildfires?
Our biomass plants burn mill waste, not logging slash or other forest residues. It costs too much to haul them the long distances from the forests to the power plant.
What else could be done with sawmill waste ?
Not all sawmills burn their waste. It is used as mulch, made into compost, compressed into pallets, mixed with recycled plastic to make composite products like decks and windows, and even made into biodegradable soft drink bottles and jet fuel. These uses of mill waste retain and sequester carbon in soil, replace virgin lumber, and substitute for fossil fuel. As long as we continue to pay high prices for biomass energy, mill owners will have no incentive to pursue these alternatives.
Does biomass affect our health?
Yes. Our biomass plants are over 30 years old and have the dirtiest type of technology. They pollute more than coal plants and emit over a ton of fine particulates each week. These very small particles enter the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. Even low level exposure to fine particulates increases our risk of heart attacks, asthma attacks, hospitalizations, and premature death. These effects are worse in places like Humboldt where the air is relatively clean
Didn't our Energy Authority commit to 100% clean energy by 2025?
Yes they did, and they committed to let the community decide if biomass was clean energy. But they didn't ask us and are now trying to write ten more years of biomass into their longterm energy plan. That's why we have to speak up now.
Yes, but neither matters in a climate emergency, The important question is "Does it warm the planet? " Replanted trees don't grow fast enough to absorb biomass carbon dioxide In the ten years we have left to prevent catastrophic global warming. While that carbon is in the atmosphere, it warms the planet, adding to the vicious cycle of wildfires, permafrost melt, and more emissions.
How big a problem/opportunity are biomass greenhouse gas emissions?
Our local biomass plants emit 400,000 tons of CO2e a year. This is more than all the cars in Humboldt County. Biomass plants are the low hanging fruit in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. A ten year plan to replace biomass with clean energy is much easier than teaching cows not to belch or getting people not to drive.
Does biomass prevent wildfires?
Our biomass plants burn mill waste, not logging slash or other forest residues. It costs too much to haul them the long distances from the forests to the power plant.
What else could be done with sawmill waste ?
Not all sawmills burn their waste. It is used as mulch, made into compost, compressed into pallets, mixed with recycled plastic to make composite products like decks and windows, and even made into biodegradable soft drink bottles and jet fuel. These uses of mill waste retain and sequester carbon in soil, replace virgin lumber, and substitute for fossil fuel. As long as we continue to pay high prices for biomass energy, mill owners will have no incentive to pursue these alternatives.
Does biomass affect our health?
Yes. Our biomass plants are over 30 years old and have the dirtiest type of technology. They pollute more than coal plants and emit over a ton of fine particulates each week. These very small particles enter the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. Even low level exposure to fine particulates increases our risk of heart attacks, asthma attacks, hospitalizations, and premature death. These effects are worse in places like Humboldt where the air is relatively clean
Didn't our Energy Authority commit to 100% clean energy by 2025?
Yes they did, and they committed to let the community decide if biomass was clean energy. But they didn't ask us and are now trying to write ten more years of biomass into their longterm energy plan. That's why we have to speak up now.
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