Are Michigan’s
forest resources and the state’s laws and policies regarding sustaining these
precious natural resources actually ready to deal with the state’s
encouragement of extensive development of woody biomass and biofuels from
wood? Below is an excerpt from the Governor’s press release today on the
first “commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant” to be located in
the UP -- what isn’t said but we have to assume is that no one is
pretending anymore that this is just about “waste wood”.
And since Michigan forest products companies have long
fought against any “forest practices act” for private forest lands,
has anyone figured out whether this is just the leading edge of the second era
of timber baron’s stripping the land? The Renewable Fuels Commission’s
Interim Report talks about sustainability, but goes to lengths to explain that
in their recommendations that sustainability means a “balance” of economic,
social and environmental. Those kinds of “balances” pretty much
always end up with the state’s future and natural resources on the losing
end. Where “sustainable” shows up in the press release below is not
in a commitment to assure that the forests committed to this will be managed
sustainably -- it is just in the buzzwords that are thrown in as comfort food
for the ears of concerned conservationists.
Does anyone else see the irony of cutting our forests so SUV,
ATV, snowmobile and other drivers can drive through cut over forestlands using
cellulosic ethanol? How can it be that the greatest value to the state from
our forest resources (which are still, by the way, recovering from the timber
barons of the late 19th/early 20th centuries) is to burn or
distill the wood so we can maintain unsustainable energy consumption levels? Heck,
Michiganders have traditionally fought all efforts to raise CAFÉ standards for
automobiles -- where is the commitment up front to stop wasting fuel and
electricity before we say “yah” to electric generation and
cellulosic ethanol from our forests?
With this commitment and others that are undoubtedly lined
up, is the administration choosing to shut the door on higher, better uses with
more value added of the woods in our state? A boom/bust cycle tied to a
thoughtless process of committing our forests to be burned or fermented doesn’t
sound like a plan that will help anyone long term. Undoubtedly the first
response here will be to say that of course there is concern about actual
sustainability. So why isn’t THAT said anywhere in the policies affecting
the 12 million acres of private forestlands in the state today, nor in a press
release like this??
http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7-192--195123--,00.html
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Granholm
Says Mascoma Agreement Puts Michigan
at Forefront of Next Generation Fuels
|
|
June 27, 2008
Historic investment
set for production facility in U.P.'s Chippewa County
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Mascoma Corporation CEO
Bruce A. Jamerson today announced that the Massachusetts-based company has
entered into a series of key strategic relationships to further Mascoma's
efforts to build its first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Agreements with the
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), JM Longyear, and alliances
formed with Michigan State University (MSU) and Michigan Technological
University (MTU) will help bring the plant to Chippewa County,
south of Sault Ste. Marie, where clean-burning, fuel-grade ethanol will be
produced from wood fiber. The agreements build on Mascoma's decision
announced last July to locate in Michigan.
"Long before the
current run-up in petroleum prices, we declared Michigan's intention to lead the nation in
alternative energy production and help reduce our dependence on foreign
oil," Granholm said. "Mascoma's next generation
biomass-to-ethanol technologies are integral to wide-scale ethanol
production, and this plant will put Michigan
on the leading edge of technology that will create good-paying jobs for Michigan citizens."
Mascoma's single-step
cellulose-to-ethanol method, called consolidated bioprocessing, or CBP, uses
advanced technologies to make ethanol from non-food based renewable sources
such as wood chips and other biomass. The clean-energy technology is
critical to producing ethanol more quickly, efficiently and
economically.
Mascoma chose Michigan for its first
commercial-scale facility based on the vast sustainable forests and agricultural
materials available and the expertise provided by JM Longyear. In
addition, Mascoma will collaborate with MSU and MTU to develop and hone
scientific processes that utilize Michigan
feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol production.
"Working with the
state of Michigan,
two of its leading universities, and JM Longyear on this significant project
brings us closer to commercial scale production of biofuels that can promote
energy independence, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate regional
economic development," Jamerson said.
SNIP
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne M. Woiwode, State Director
Sierra Club Michigan
Chapter - 109 E. Grand River
Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906
- 517-484-2372 anne.woiwode@sierraclub.org
Visit us at http://michigan.sierraclub.org/index.shtml
Act Today: Join our Legislative Alerts System! http://mackinac.sierraclubaction.org
Act FOR Tomorrow: Support the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter
- contact Wendi Tilden at wendi.tilden@sierraclub.org
"The idea of shifting to a carbon-free society
appears to be technically feasible. The question is whether it's politically
feasible or economically feasible."
Brian O'Neil, National Center
for Atmospheric Research