Switchgrass? Corn cobs? Logging slash? These apparent throwaways may just be prime sources for the next great energy boom. It's renewable energy that could help wean us away from fossil fuels and foreign wars while also breathing new economic life into our rural areas.
Ralph Overend, Research Fellow, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Elaine Zieroth, Forest Supervisor, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
Jim Walls, Executive Director of the Lake County Resources Initiative
Craig Thomas, lifelong Montana forester and logger with the Fuels for Schools Program
Jeff Passmore, Executive Vice President of Iogen Corporation
Duane Grant, Idaho wheat farmer
(clicking on a guest's name opens their full interview audio file)
Host: Mark Sommer
Senior Producer: Chuck Rogers
Production Engineer: Chuck Johnson
Music in this program: open- "Wildwood Drive"by Yonder Mountain String Band, Partners in Music; welcome- "A United Earth I" by Alan Stivell with Yousou N'Dour, Putumayo World Music; insert 1- "Rekindle the Fire" by Mary Youngblood, Silver Wave Records; break 1- "Fuel Farms" by Screaming Headless Torsos, FuzeLicious Records; break 2- "Gas Pump Blues" by Frank Ace, Chueffa Records; bottom of the Hour Billboard- "A United Earth I" by Alan Stivell with Yousou N'Dour, Putumayo World Music; break 3- "Alternative Fuel" by Rachel Garlin, Tactile Records; insert 2- "Bitchenoscopy" by Rickie Lee Jones, V2 Records; close and credits- "Wildwood Drive" by Yonder Mountain String Band, Partners in Music.
Biomass Task Force Report commissioned by the Clean and Diversified Energy Advisory Committee of The Western Governors’ Association published in January 2006.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Biomass Research links to publications, research information and news on biomass.
The White Mountain Stewardship Project on Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.
“A timber town learns to care for the forest” A High Country News article by Greg Hanscom on the stewardship model put into place by The Lake County Resources Initiative and others on the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Oregon.
The Energy Foundation’s Biofuels Program this initiative is primarily focused on commercializing cellulosic ethanol, an alcohol fuel that can be made from a variety of crop inputs - from corn stover, to wheat straw, to perennials like native switchgrass. Check out the report THE NEW HARVEST: Biofuels and Windpower for Rural Revitalization and National Energy Security
Iogen Corporation From Iogen’s website, “Iogen is a world leading biotechnology firm specializing in cellulose ethanol - a fully renewable, advanced biofuel that can be used in today's cars. Iogen also develops, manufactures and markets enzymes used to modify and improve the processing of natural fibres within the textile, animal feed, and pulp and paper industries.”
Lake County Resources Initiative trains local loggers and contractors to undertake forest restoration, helps local operators win contracts on the national forest and is now in moving to build a biomass power plant in this job-scarce region.
Fuels for Schools a program promoting and providing wood waste as a heat source for public school buildings in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and North Dakota.
Montana’s Fuels for Schools Program From the website, “Improved use of forest biomass has many benefits: it can improve air quality by reducing slash pile burning, lower land management costs, improve forest health and resilience, economically assist in protecting communities and watersheds from wildfire, provide low cost, locally sourced heating fuel, reduce fossil fuel consumption, and create rural jobs.” Click here for info on Montana’s Fuels for Schools Grants
“Fuels for Schools growing” An article in The Missoulian, by Perry Backus
"Stalking Future Feedstocks" An article in Ethanol Producer Magazine by Lorraine Cavener. Experts say it could take up to five years to commercialize cellulose-to-ethanol technology. Idaho's wheat and barley growers intend to find out for themselves. (note mention of Idaho farmer Duane Grant)
"The Forest Service Is Dead; Long Live the Forest Service!" An article in Grist Magazine by Mitch Friedman, 28 Feb 2006 (note mention of The White Mountain Stewardship Project on Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests)
Comments
Post new comment