this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2024
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I think we should generally differentiate between biomass that has been grown for the sole purpose of being burned (bad), and biomass that's just organic matter as part of the waste system that cannot be otherwise recycled.
That's interesting.
Biomass that is grown to be burned is completely sustainable, increases the earths carrying capacity and provides economic growth, profit and jobs. Triple bottom line.
Biomass burned as waste is just incineration with a bit of green washing.
The problem is that much biomass burning happens in the form of "take a mature forest, which existed for other reasons, and burn it for the purpose of generating electricity." This means that you go from having a large mature forest, to having large areas of immature forest.
This on net adds CO2 to the atmosphere until several decades after it stops.
Different areas - you are correct with what you said.
My comment was specifically on those grown to be burned for biomass. Taking a mature forest on the other hand is indeed a problem.
Actual biomass power plants operating today are buying forests to burn them. Those which run in the manner you describe are exceedingly rare.
Not denying that - wish I could though....
No, it's not. Just because it is carbon neutral does not mean it is sustainable. It also does not increase Earths "carrying capacity", that's a fallacy, and it is in fact quite the contrary. To increase Earth's carbon storage we'd need long term forests that actually capture the co2 for many generations to come. What happens with "bio" fuels is that we instead cut down forests and create cultivated ones, which not just take ages to grow, but are then cut down, processed and consequently burned. This kills real forests that capture co2, have real ecosystems and the land use needed to fuel our energy need in relation to the long growth time would mean we'd have to clear massive swaths of land, like the rain forests on other continents, which then still could not fulfill the demand of even a single industrialized nation. You're literally spreading corpo propaganda here. And economic growth is exactly the killer that brought us into this mess.
It's not greenwashing when there's literally no other way or processing it and highly ironic since you're trying to greenwash bio fuels.
You're getting carrying capacity, carbon capture and carbon neutral confused, which then flows into sustainability.
Carrying capacity isn't about getting it back or stored - its the environments ability to "carry" our waste products without long term damage or effects. Increases of forest - pine or mature native - does indeed increase the earths carrying capacity for carbon emissions, waste water, runoff and other areas. You're right, pine doesn't mean long term carbon capture but that's not this arguement.
Regarding burning waste that otherwise cant be used - yes it is greenwashing. We used to think the same thing about burning or dumping rubbish- can't use it so let's just burn it. Admittedly this is a much more complicated problem and reverts back to a complete circular economy requiring a significant change in design, ways of thinking and culture to eliminate this one - but it can still be done.