Shotgun Solutions Greenpeace report reflects an all-or-nothing world we don’t live in, where we can idly sit, waiting for a renewable energy silver bullet. ny decent PR hack knows that if you want to lead people to a spe-cific conclusion, you must phrase your question accordingly. Hence the widespread Greenpeace “Biomess” report on the dangers of pursuing bioenergy in Canada. Would you rather mow down Canada’s forests to solve our near universal addiction to fossil fuels, or live in a world where the sun always shines, a warm wind always blows and otherwise imperfect people change their power consumption habits over-night without far-reaching consequences? Only an idiot would choose the former. Yet, only an idiot or charlatan would ask the question in the first place. Try this question instead: Given our unhealthy energy diet, the limitations of all current fossil fuel alternatives and a complex world full of predictably stub-born consumers, how do we move to a more sustainable energy future? For starters, we need to thrive in com-plexity. The current and relatively black-and-white energy mix (fossil and hydro) will be replaced by a complicated kalei-doscope of fossil and hydro, but also geo-thermal, wind, solar, tidal, conservation, and yes, biomass. In brief, forget the silver bullet; look for buckshot. And as a starting point, I’d also add don’t look for perfection, but for a series of steps from different arenas instead. And once combined, these steps will help take us to a better energy mix. BIOMASS CANADIAN Volume 4 No. 6 Editorial Director/Group Publisher -Scott Jamieson (519) 429-3966 ext 244 [email protected] Associate Editor -David Manly (519) 429-3966 ext 261 [email protected] Contributors -Gordon Murray, Paul Lansbergen, Treena Hein, Henry Persson, Paul Janzé Market Production Manager Josée Crevier Ph: (514) 425-0025 Fax: (514) 425-0068 [email protected] National Sales Manager Ross Anderson Ph: (519) 429-5188 Fax: (519) 429-3094 [email protected] Quebec Sales Josée Crevier Ph: (514) 425-0025 Fax: (514) 425-0068 [email protected] Western Sales Manager Tim Shaddick [email protected] Ph: (604) 264-1158 Fax: (604) 264-1367 Production Artist -Kate Patchell Canadian Biomass is published six times a year: February, April, June, August, October, and December. Published and printed by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Printed in Canada ISSN 0318-4277 Circulation Carol Nixon e-mail: [email protected] P.O. Box 51058 Pincourt, QC J7V 9T3 Subscription Rates: Canada -1 Yr $49.50; 2 Yr $87.50; 3 Yr $118.50 Single Copy -$9.00 (Canadian prices do not include applicable taxes) USA – 1 Yr $60 US; Foreign – 1 Yr $77 US Occasionally, Canadian Biomass magazine will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission ©2011 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. www.canadianbiomassmagazine.com A Despite one of Greenpeace’s wildest claims – that tapping into bioenergy means suddenly doubling harvest levels and stripping Canada of its forests with-out public debate – biomass should be a significant part of that mix. In reality, the move to biomass has been painfully slow, and still moves at a crawl. There is more action now than at any time in the past, but projects are still gen-erally small and slow to launch. Shrill as Green-peace’s cries are, the only power-generation conversion of any scale was to be OPG in On-tario. And this utility is converting but one plant. Yet given the capital and markets, could we double our harvest? According to the 2010 State of Canada’s Forest report, Canada’s sustainable level of harvest is al-most twice what it is currently. In other words, our current reduced harvest levels allow for considerable growth, all using public policy and sustainability guide-lines that have long been in place. Since my glasses are not as rosy as Greenpeace’s, I don’t believe that will happen. Reality is harsh, and much of that fibre is uneconomical even as sawn timber. Given the economics of bioen-ergy, very little of it will ever be used just to make power. If we’re innovative, we’ll make a little buckshot, but no silver bullet and no mess. • Scott Jamieson, Editorial Director [email protected] @canadianbiomass 4 Canadian BIOMASS AUGUST 2008
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